Through the Winds of Time: Book Two
by ElodieKumari94
Summary: SEQUAL TO BOOK ONE. Team 5Ds has been stuck in the past for a week when Yusei, along with Katara and Sokka, meet a funny young airbender in an iceberg. Yusei thinks Aang might be his only hope of being reunited with his friends, but under what circumstances? ATLA Season 1 eps featured, better summary inside
1. Prologue

_I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH 5DS OR THE CHARACTERS (except for Elodie cuz she's my OC) AND I DO NOT CLAIM ANY RIGHTS TO IT! THIS STORY IS WRITTEN FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED! SO PLEASE DO NOT SUE ME!_

Now that that is out of the way, thanks for clicking on this story! This is the second one in my little series crossover, so I suggest you read Book 1: Time before you read this section. In Book 2, I'm basically going to go through most of the important episodes in the first season of the Avatar series, incorperating the 5Ds characters in the episodes as I go. Here's a little prologue to get us started! Enjoy!

* * *

_Through the Winds of Time_

**BOOK TWO: Water  
Prologue**

_Water.  
Earth.  
Fire.  
Air._

_It's been a week since I arrived in this time, in this world where people can bend the elements and nations have been at war for nearly a century. Back in our time, thousands of years in the future, my friend Bruno and I were testing our newly built time machine for the first time. Our test run turned out to be a disaster, and the two of us, along with our friends, were accidentally transported to this era._

_I don't know where my friends are. I don't know what has become of them. All I know of this world is what I have learned here in the South Pole and what my new friends from the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka and Katara, have told me._

_Katara has told me all of the stories her grandmother used to tell me her about the old days. A time of peace, when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads._

_But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked._

_Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished._

_Fast forward a hundred years, to the time I know must call the present, and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, Katara and Sokka's father and the men of their tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving my friends to look after their tribe._

_Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken. But Katara hasn't lost hope. And neither have I. I still believe that somehow I will be reunited with my friends, just as Katara believes that somehow the Avatar will return to save the world._

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_**REVIEWS PLEASE!**_


	2. The Boy in the Iceberg Part 1

**The Boy in the Iceberg**

_"_It's not getting away from me this time, you guys!" Sokka declared confidently. "Watch and learn, Yusei and Katara: _this_ is how you catch a fish."

"How many times has he said that now?" Yusei murmured behind him to Katara.

"Five or six, I think," Katara replied with a soft sigh.

Yusei let out his own sigh, twiddling the handle of his fishing net between his fingers. The three teens had been out fishing in their three-man canoe for at least three hours, Yusei estimated; it was hard to be sure with no clocks or watches to keep track of the time. It seemed as though the time portal hadn't allowed the transportation of any modern technology to this time. As Yusei gazed around at the icebergs bobbing in the freezing ocean around him, it stuck him again that he had been in this time period for a week already. It was incredible to think that so much time had passed since the incident with the machine. Yusei's fears for his friends' fate had not died over the time, but his hopes of finding them were starting to. He had survived in this time period so far, but that was only because Sokka and Katara were generous enough to offer their home and help to him. His friends might not have been so lucky.

Yusei's gaze turned again to Katara, who was leaning over the canoe's edge, her icy-blue eyes on the water. She and been the most help to him over the past week, doing everything she could to help him feel comfortable and supported. Katara's maturity and compassion were rare traits for a girl her age, but now that he knew what had happened to her parents – her mother killed in a Fire Nation raid, their father out fighting – he understood why she had to be so grown up. In fact, he felt he could relate to her more because of it.

Suddenly, Yusei saw Katara's eyes widen. Leaning forward to look over the edge of the canoe, he caught a glimpse of a second fish swimming around Katara's end of the little boat. Sokka, who was still focused on his own fish, hadn't noticed. Katara removed her glove and took a shaky breath, her expression uncertain. She extended her exposed hand over the water and slowly lifted it, her fingers flexing smoothly. Yusei gasped and dropped his net in surprise as she lifted a small blob of water from the sea, in which the fish was still contained.

"I'm never going to get used to that," Yusei murmured to himself.

"Sokka, look!" Katara exclaimed, now using both hands to levitate the water in front of her.

**"**Shhh, Katara," Sokka whispered distractedly, "you're gonna scare it away. Mmmm, I can already smell it cookin'!"

**"**But, Sokka! I caught one!" Katara cried, still trying to control the little fish-blob of water as it swished through the air around her.

"Here, Katara!" said Yusei, grabbing his net and holding it out. "Try and drop it into the net!"

Katara concentrated on keeping the fish in the water as she slowly began to guide it toward the center of the canoe. Yusei tried to help by moving the net beneath the fish, but the scaly little creature was moving around too much. Katara wound up moving the fish back toward Sokka's end of the boat just as her brother raised his spear to strike his own fish. The blunt end of the spear hit the globe of water, drenching him and allowing the fish to escape.

"Hey!" Katara exclaimed as Yusei groaned, flopping back down on his bench in the middle of the canoe. He was hungry enough to eat a whale, but they couldn't even catch a little fish!

"Ugh!" Sokka growled in exasperation as he turned to glare at his sister. "Why is it that every time _you_ play with magic water, _I_ get soaked?"

"She was just trying to help, Sokka," Yusei came to her defense. "She caught a fish with that 'magic water' and you let it escape!"

"It's not magic," Katara shot at her brother. "It's waterbending! And it's-

"Yeah, yeah, an ancient art unique to our culture, blah, blah, blah. Look, I'm just saying that if I had weird powers, I'd keep my weirdness to myself."

"I doubt that somehow," Yusei muttered with a smirk. He respected Sokka enough, of course - especially after how well they worked together in fighting of that Polar Leopard-Bear last week – but there were time he thought the Water Tribe warrior ran his mouth without really thinking about what he was saying. Maybe it was because he'd lived for the past two years as the oldest man in his tribe.

**"**You're calling _me_ weird?" Katara remarked with a smirk, folding her arms over her chest. "_I'm_not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection in the water."

Sokka, who was doing just that, turned to glare at his sister just as something bumped into the boat. Catching the side of the canoe to keep from losing his balance, Yusei looked around and discovered that the boat had floated right into an ice field. Icebergs were converging on them like a pack of badger-wolves that was about to make them their midday meal. The little canoe wouldn't stand a chance against the huge chunks of ice; they would be crushed!

The three teens yelled out as Sokka and Yusei grabbed the paddles and fantically tried to maneuver the canoe out of the ice. Katara hung onto her side of the boat for dear life, and Sokka and Yusei worked on paddling as the ice and water tossed their canoe over the waves like a little toy.

"Watch out!" Katara cried as they nearly careened into a large iceberg. Yusei grunted as he pushed the paddle through the water, his muscles straining against the frothing water. Maybe it was too much strain, because when he mistakenly struck an iceberg, the paddle broke in his hands.

"Sokka!" Yusei shouted. "My paddle broke!"

"It's okay!" the warrior shouted back through gritted teeth. "I got this!"

"Go left! Go left!" Katara yelled frantically at her brother. Almost as if the icebergs had heard her, their path was cut off. Three large chunks of ice surrounded them, converged on them, pressed against the sides of their frail little boat…

"Jump!" Yusei shouted. He grabbed all he could of their gear and jumped out of the canoe and onto the nearest iceberg, pulling his two friends out with him just as their boat was reduced to splinters. The three of them clung onto the iceberg as the currents pushed them away from the wreckage and further out to sea.

"You guys okay?" Yusei asked the two siblings as the iceberg finally came to rest.

"Yeah, we're fine," Sokka panted as they all carefully sat up. Patting Yusei on the shoulder, the warrior added, "Thanks, man."

"Yeah, Yusei, thanks," Katara added before glaring at her brother. "As for you, however, you call that left?"

**"**You don't like my steering?" Sokka demanded. "Well, maybe you should have _waterbended_us out of the ice."

"Uh, guys?" Yusei said in a vain attempt to break up the fight.

**"**So it's my fault," Katara said angrily, standing up and over her brother.

**"**I knew I should have left you home!" Sokka berated himself. "Leave it to a girl to screw things up."

Yusei could practically see the steam pouring from Katara's ears as her face twitched in rage. Pointing at her brother and gestering wildly, she yelled, "You are the most _sexist, immature, nut brained_... Ugh, I'm embarrassed to be related to you!"

As she shouted, Yusei noticed the waves behind her thrashing around with her movements. Suddenly, she three her arms back and a huge crack appeared in a large iceberg towering over them nearby. Yusei's nudged Sokka's shoulder, his cobalt eyes widening, and the warrior looked up. Upon seeing the danger, Sokka's own eyes went as wide as dinner plates.

"Ever since Mom died I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!" Katara continued to fume, more cracks appearing in the ice.  
**  
"**Uh... Katara?" Sokka stammered in a shaky voice, pointing behind her at the iceberg. But the waterbender was beyond reason.

"I even wash all the clothes!" she raged. "Have you ever _smelled_your dirty socks? Let me tell you: NOT PLEASANT!"

"Katara!" Yusei cried, also trying to point out the danger, but Katara only rounded on him.

"Don't you dare take his side, Yusei!" she yelled shrilly. "You've seen how he acts! He thinks he's so special and important just because he's the oldest male in our tribe! He struts around the village likes it's his kingdom and he thinks building towers and coaching six-year-olds makes him a warrior!"

"Katara, settle down!" Sokka shouted, waving his hands frantically. Behind Katara, the waves continued to thrash and the ice continued to break, straining beneath the waterbender's fury.

**"**No, that's _it!_" Katara screamed. "I'm _done_ helping you! From now on, YOU ARE _ON YOUR OWN_!"

Katara thrust her arms down one last time, and the iceberg behind her seemed to have had enough. The 20-foot-tall mountain of ice split from bottom to top, cracking open completely. Hearing the noise, Katara finally turned around, gasping at what she had done. Yusei reached out and pulled her down toward him as the iceberg fell apart, large chunks of ice splashing into the water and creating large tidal waves that pushed their little ice block back, threatening to tip them over. Yusei held onto the two Water Tribe siblings, trying to keep them from falling off, until the water had settled again.

"That was… impressive," Yusei muttered, staring at the ruins of the iceberg.

"_Impressive_?" Sokka repeated incredulously. "No. You've gone from weird to_ freakish_, Katara."  
**  
"**You mean I did that?" Katara asked in wonder.

**"**Yup. Congratulations."

Yusei sighed, rubbing his face with a gloved hand. Maybe it was just because he was still stressed out about his friends, but he was beginning to get really tired of Sokka and Katara's nearly constant bickering. He was about to tell them so, but instead of words came a gasp of pain as he clutched his right forearm.

"Yusei?" Katara exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

Yusei didn't answer right away; he wasn't entirely sure what the answer was. His Mark of the Crimson Dragon was burning. It was burning. It only did that when something dangerous and/or life-altering was about to happen to him or one of the other Signers. The mark hadn't reacted like this since his duel with Z-One back in the present. What would cause his mark to react like this in this time period?

But that wasn't even the most shocking part. Not only was his mark burning; Yusei could feel the presence of his fellow signers through the mark. There was Crow, and Jack, and Akiza, and even the twins. Luna and Leo were more unclear, like a fuzzy signal across time, but they were there. They all were. That meant they were all alive, at least!

"I'm alright," Yusei finally answered through his pain, trying to mask his true, jumbled emotions. "I think I must have banged my arm or something."

"Hey, uh… guys?" Sokka spoke up, and the other two looked around to see him still leaning over the edge of the iceberg, a scared frown on his face as he looked at the water. "Am I seeing things, or is the ocean glowing?"

Yusei and Katara looked down and discovered Sokka was right; there was a spot in the water just beneath them that seemed to be glowing an incandescent blue. The glow seemed to be getting bigger and brighter as they watched, mystified, and the water began to froth and bubble, as if something from deep in the ocean was beginning to surface…

"Guys, get back!" Yusei shouted, pulling his two friends back from the edge as their icy raft began tipping backwards. With a loud, rushing whoosh, the surface of the water exploded, the waves pushing them back again to make room for the new iceberg that had emerged. Except this iceberg seemed strange, unnatural even; neither Yusei, who had been in the South Pole for only a week, nor the Water Tribe siblings, who had grown up on the ice, had seen anything like it.

The iceberg was almost perfectly round, like a giant model of a globe. The ice had a luminescent glow emanating from deep inside of it, matching the color the three friends had seen in the water earlier. Yusei gasped and raised his hand to block out the bright light, and as he did, his Mark of the Dragon gave another painful pulse, the red light actually shining through the thick sleeve of his overcoat. Next to him, Katara took a couple of steps forward, her eyes wide with wonder. Sokka reached out as if to pull her back, his face stamped with caution and worry. As he lowered his hand, Yusei saw something even more intriguing about the phenomenon before them: there were two dark shapes in the center of the iceberg. One was a large, oblong shape, like a deformed, half-bent oval about the size of a school bus. The small shape above it was even more alarming, because it could be clearly seen as a human being sitting in a cross-legged position.

_What a horrible way to die…_ Yusei thought sadly.

Suddenly, his mark exploded in pain, the red light so bright he could clearly see the shape of the Crimson Dragon's head through material. He masked a cry of pain with a gasp of surprise as five arrow marks appeared on the head and limbs of the human form in the ice. The eyes of the frozen boy, also glowing blue, without irises or pupils, opened.

* * *

A little farther north, Crow also felt his mark burn so suddenly, he nearly fell of the edge of the cliff he was about to jump off of.

All the way in the Fire Nation, Jack was blasted off of his feet as his burning mark distracted him from his firebending training session.

Akiza, who was at that moment sitting in a small pub in the Misty Palms Oasis at the edge of the Si Won Desert, nearly dropped her mango drink as she clutched her burning arm, and Chie the Knowledge Seeker barked nervously at her side.

Bruno, without a mark or any sort of power, was oblivious to everything happening.

Elodie, however, was locked in a literally heated battle that was, potentially, to the death.

* * *

As her opponent, Prince Zuko, yelled and punched with a flaming fist, Elodie dodged and ducked under his arm like it was a limbo stick, sliding across the deck of his ship on her knees. Still on the floor, Elodie swung her leg out toward Zuko's feet, but the prince predicted her move and jumped over her leg, thrusting his hand down and shooting a ball of fire at her in midair. Elodie spun away to avoid the blast and did a perfect back-hand spring to get back to her feet, surprisingly flexible in the borrowed Fire Nation uniform she was wearing. She twirled around the prince to avoid another gout of fire, and then spun on one foot, extending the other leg out toward Zuko with a mighty yell. Zuko raised his armored forearm just in time to block the kick, his eyes burning, his teeth bared. As he pushed her leg away, Elodie spun again and thrust out her opposite fist, but Zuko caught the punch in his hand. Grabbing her hand, he pulled Elodie toward him, forcing her to turn around so her back was against his chest, and wrapped his arms around her neck in a headlock. Elodie tried to fight against Zuko's iron grip, but she knew he was too strong for her. Deciding to take a different approach, Elodie reached back and grabbed a hold of Zuko's shoulders, then pushed herself up with both feet, twisting herself out of the surprised Prince's grip and flipping over his hand, landing at a crouch on the deck behind him. As she advanced for another attack, pulling a pair of knives out of the sheaths on her hips, Zuko spun just in time to dodge her upward thrust with a knife. Before she could turn and attack again, Zuko grabbed the back of her collar and spun her around to face him, locking her in place with his arm around her neck, and pointed a smoking fist at her face.

The two fighters froze, breathing hard, Elodie staring wide-eyed at Zuko's fist as he gave her a triumphant smirk. "Got you," he said with satisfaction.

To his surprise, Elodie's face sharped into a wicked grin. "You sure about that?"

Zuko frowned in confusion. Suddenly, something sharp pocked him in the back. Zuko tore his gaze away from Elodie to see her arm wrapped around his side. Remembering her daggers, he realized she had one of the blades wedged into a chink in his armor. One upward thrust would have sent the blade right between his ribs and into his heart. He turned a shocked gaze back to Elodie only to find her second dagger in front of his face, the point resting against his neck just beneath his jaw.

"I guess it's just a matter of who would've struck first," Elodie said smugly.

Zuko's eyes locked onto hers. Throughout the week, Zuko had watched some of the light return to eyes, though he was sure it was a mere shadow of what had once been there. The loss of her friends had hit her hard, but he saw the way she had come alive during training and admired her for it. Each time he remembered how Elodie had made with Lieutenant Jee's obstacle course on Whale Tail Island look like a playground for children, he felt renewed shock at her determination and courage. She had even taken out of firebenders that Jee had ambush her at the end of the course, even though that had been the greatest challenge of all for her. Her fighting style was strangely foreign to them, but throughout the week she had greatly improved her technique, and Zuko, though he would never admit it, was glad she was in his crew.

Elodie knew she had earned her place on the ship. Now that she was enlisted and being trained by General Iroh and the lieutenant, she felt she was getting hang of their strange, ancient (for her, anyway) techniques. It had been difficult, at first, to learn how to fight in the Fire Nation armor she now wore – an old set of Prince Zuko's from his pre-puberty days – but she could now move and fight comfortably. She spent every waking hour training and studying the world she was trapped in, because doing so made her feel like she was doing something that would help her find her friends. She could not believe they were dead. She wouldn't even consider the possibility. They had to be out there in the world somewhere, and she was Hades-bent to find them.

Iroh, who had been sitting cross-legged at a nearby game table and playing some ancient version of Solitaire, stood and approached the two fighters as the released each other and stepped apart. "Very good, both of you. Elodie, your improvement this week has been astounding, but we still need to work on your form and reflexes. When your opponent outmatches you in strength and power, you must outmatch him with swiftness and intelligence."

"I understand, General," Elodie agreed, bowing low to Iroh with the heel of her left hand resting vertically against the knuckles on her right fist.

Iroh nodded and smiled at his new soldier before turning to Zuko. "Prince Zuko, I am pleased that you used your opponent's momentum against her and waited for an opening before striking, but you must remember to focus more on the energy within yourself than your physical strength." Iroh gave his nephew a smile and added, "But you have improved greatly as well. You both work very well together."

"Thank you, Uncle," Zuko said, turned to glance at Elodie. Elodie did the same, giving the prince a small smile. The two were bowing to each other to finish their training session when it happened.

At the same time as the signers felt their marks burn, Elodie's head split open in a burst of fiery pain for the first time in a week. She cried out as darkness closed around her, and she once again felt like she was sinking through deep, freezing water. She opened her eyes and saw a bright blue light in front of her. The light was coming from the silhouette of a bald, bare-chested boy with iridescent-blue arrow markings on his limbs and head. His eyes were glowing as well, the light so bright Elodie couldn't see his irises or his pupils. She could sense raw, ancient power, memoire and experiences of thousands of spirits all gathered into this one person.

_The Avatar._

With a gasp, Elodie emerged from the vision and found herself staring at Zuko's shoulder. He was supporting her, practically holding her, and calling her name, his voice thick with alarm.

"Elodie? Are you okay?"

Using Zuko for support, Elodie got herself back to her feet and looked up into his scarred face. For a split second, she hoped her powers had returned and she would finally sense some emotion being the Prince's masklike face, but she felt nothing but her own shock and confusion. She had seen a vision though, and not just any vision: she had seen the Avatar himself. She didn't know how she knew it was him, but her gut instincts told her it was so. Iroh had already explained to her who the Avatar was and what his powers were. Zuko had told her how the Avatar was the only think keeping the Fire Nation from achieving world peace. The Prince had also said that the Avatar's capture was the key to getting his honor and throne back.

And she had seen the Avatar, alive and in all of his power, right in front of her eyes.

"I-" she began, not entirely sure what exactly she was going to say, but Zuko seemed to have spotted something over her shoulder and was no longer looking at her. She turned just in time to see a bright blue beam of light shoot up into the sky on the horizon. Even from a distance, Elodie could sense a familiar power radiating from the light. It could only have been the Avatar.

**"**Finally," Zuko breathed behind her. Elodie, surprised by the change in his tone, turned to look at him. He seemed to have had the same idea.

"Zuko?" Elodie asked, frowning, but the Prince was no longer listening to her. He whirled around to his uncle, who was just sitting back down at his game.

"Uncle, do you realize what this means?" the Prince demanded.

"I won't get to finish my game?" Iroh asked tiredly.

"It means my search… it's about to come to an end!"

Iroh sighed heavily, clearly unconvinced. Zuko persisted, pointing at the beam, "That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him!"

"Or it's just the celestial lights," Iroh suggested, gesturing toward the sky with the game piece in his hand. "We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing."

"Begging your pardon, General," Elodie said respectfully, "but I don't think something this phenomenal is just nothing. I've never seen celestial lights that shoot up from the Earth in perfectly straight beams. They're usually in waves across the sky, aren't they? I believe this could be worth investigating."

Zuko almost gave Elodie a grateful smile. Iroh, however, seemed adamant. "Please don't encourage him Elodie. I realize you're eager to help, but we have been at this for nearly three years now. We cannot afford to put too much hope into something so uncertain."

"But you're always preaching about how there is always hope!" Zuko cried.

"Only when hope is reasonable, Prince Zuko," stated Iroh. "But this is not the case."

Elodie frowned at the general. He was always very supportive of Zuko… except when it came to the hunt for the Avatar. He didn't seem very interested in the mission at all. Could it be that he didn't think it was the right thing for Zuko to do? Why would that be?

Iroh smiled gently at the two teens and gestured to his table. "Please, sit. Why don't you both enjoy some calming jasmine tea?"

"I don't need any calming tea!" Zuko exploded so suddenly, Elodie gave a start. "I need to capture the Avatar." Zuko raised his fiery eyes, hardened with determination, to the helm of the ship. "Helmsman," he ordered, "head a course for the light!"

Elodie frowned after the prince as he stalked off to the other end of the ship. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of Zuko, even after a week of living with him. There were times he could be kind and gentle, but he usually seemed rather angry and truculent. There were the times he was confused and sad, but then there were times like now when he was just plain disrespectful and irascible. It was extremely irritating for the former psychic to not be able to read his emotion. She hated seeing a mask on someone she trusted, and she only half-trusted Zuko at best. But he seemed so lost…

She was worried about him. Even with her questioning the crew and spying and prying during the course of the week, no one seemed to be able to tell her exactly why Zuko was so obsessed with finding the Avatar. She got that his capture would restore is place in the Fire Nation, but why would he want to return to a father who would banish, not to mention burn and scar, his own son?

It wasn't juts Zuko's behavior that bothered Elodie, however; the whole situation with the Avatar was unsettling. Despite Iroh's doubts, she knew, just as the prince did, that the light was significant to finding him. She knew in her heart that the boy she had seen in her vision was the very boy she needed to find. Her vision had shown her as much.

Whatever the case, for the first time in a week, Elodie felt true hope in finding her friends again. She didn't know why, but at some point during her vision of the Avatar, Elodie had felt a split-second connection to her missing friends. Somehow, she knew the Avatar was the key to finding them. So she had to find the Avatar just as much as Zuko did.

So why was it bothering her so much?

Elodie sighed and turned to the general. "If it's all the same to you, general, I think I'll take some of that tea now."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

_**REVIEW PLEASE!**_


	3. The Boy in the Iceberg Part 2

Yusei, who was crouched behind Sokka and Katara, his arms around the two siblings as if to protect them, lifted his head to the shattered iceberg. The thing had completely cracked opened when Katara hit it, releasing a burst of air and a strange beam of light. The light had diminished to a glow, and it seemed to shift in the wind as it dissipated. Beneath his arms, Katara was leaning into Sokka, who held a spear protectively in front of them.

Suddenly, the head, shoulders, and arms of the boy in the iceberg appeared over the top of the crater, his eyes and arrow markings still aglow.

"Stop!" Sokka ordered, raising the spear toward the boy.

The boy, seemingly unfazed, didn't stop. He stood at the edge of the broken iceberg, glaring down at the three teens. With a shock, Yusei realized the boy was hardly bigger than Leo. He was dressed strangely in a long-sleeved, high-collared yellow shirt with a kind of short orange shawl. Orange ankle-length leggings covered his legs beneath knee-length parachute-like pants. His head was entirely bald, decorated only with the glowing blue arrow. Sokka and Katara tensed beneath him, also looking surprised at the powerful youth standing above them. It gave Yusei some relief that, for once, he wasn't the only one who found this phenomenon strange.

Yusei suddenly realized the painful burn in his right arm was diminishing. At the same time, the boy's eyes closed and the glow faded, revealing the arrows to be blue tattoos lining his body. With a low groan, the boy's body fell forward and slid down the ice toward the stunned trio. With a gasp, Katara lunged forward and caught the boy before he could hit his head on the ice. Yusei approached Katara from behind as she supported the boy, hoping to get a better look at the strange… well, stranger. Without the freaky glow, the boy, who couldn't have been older than twelve, looked innocent and vulnerable in his sleep. Sokka came up next to Yusei and began poking the boy's head with the blunt end of his spear, as if the child was a potentially dangerous beast in a slumber.

"Stop it!" Katara exclaimed, shoving Sokka's spear away indignantly.

"Where did he come from?" Yusei murmured as he knelt down beside Katara, who was gently turning the boy over onto his back and resting him against the icy slope. "He couldn't be alive, after all of that…"

Suddenly, the boy's eyes twitched. The three friends watched in shock and amazement as he gave a low moan and opened his eyes. Without the glow hiding his irises, they saw his eyes were a warm gray color, much like Crow's, Yusei realized with a pang. The boy's gaze landed on Katara first, and he gasped softly.

"I need to ask you something," the boy croaked, his voice weak.  
**  
**"What?" Katara asked softly.

"Please... come closer…"

"What is it?" Katara murmured gently, leaning toward him.  
**  
**The boy blinked sleepily. Suddenly, his eyes widened and brightened, and playful smile lit his face as he eagerly asked, "Will you go penguin sledding with me?

Yusei and Sokka exchanged looks behind Katara's back. "Penguin sledding?" mouthed Yusei. Sokka only shrugged, looking completely perplexed.

"Uh... sure," Katara replied uncertainly. "I guess."

The boy suddenly seemed to lift off the ground, quite literally floating to his feet as a whisper of wind whooshed around him, his shawl and parachute pants rippling in the unnatural breeze. Sokka jumped back and cried out, still pointing his spear at the strange kid.

_"_What's going on here?" the boy asked, rubbing his head in confusion as he looked around him.

"You tell us!" Sokka demanded. "How'd you get in the ice? And why aren't you frozen?"

As if to prove that the boy wasn't frozen, Sokka poked him in the stomach with the spear. But the boy merely pushed the spear away absentmindedly and replied, "I'm not sure."

Suddenly, a low rumble seemed to emit from the ice in front of them. For a moment, Yusei was afraid another Polar Leopard-Bear was stalking them, but this growl was much lower and definitely not feline or bear. The boy jumped and gasped at the sound, seeming to recognize it, and began to scramble up the slope of the iceberg, disappearing back over the edge.

"Appa!" the three teens heard the boy cry. "Are you all right? Wake up, buddy!"

"What's an Appa?" Yusei asked the water tribe siblings. "Some other South Pole creature I don't know about?"

"Right now, you're guess is as good as mine, Yusei," Katara muttered. She looked slightly confused, but also curious. Her brother, however, was as cynical and suspicious as ever. As the trio began walking around the slope of the iceberg, they could hear the boy grunting and struggling with something. When they rounded the corner and got a good view of what this "Appa" thing was, their mouths dropped open in absolute shock. The boy was trying to lift the head of an huge, furry, slumbering beast about ten times bigger than a Polar Leopard-Bear, with six legs, a platypus-like tail, and a round head with two short little bison horns. The creature's thick fur was white with brown arrow markings like the boy's on its head and limbs. The only sign that assured Yusei the creature was domestic was the saddle on its back.

Suddenly, the beast lifted its head groggily. A tongue as long as a grown man emerged from the creature's giant mouth, Yusei feared it might eat the boy, but the kid was laughing happily as the beast licked him.

"Hey-hey, you're okay!" he laughed happily, obviously relieved and very pleased as he turned to hug the creature's muzzle. The boy's scrawny arms couldn't have even reached the corners of the monster's mouth. Yusei, Sokka, and Katara approached the pair slowly as the creature stood and shook out his fur.

"What is that thing?" Sokka demanded, pointing at the monster the boy was now stroking.

Aang turned to the trio and made the introduction: "This is Appa, my flying bison."

"Right," Sokka replied skeptically. "And this is Katara, my flying sister."

Katara gave her brother a disapproving look. Before anyone could say anything more the bison, Appa, began sniffling. The boy's alarmed expression was enough to give Yusei incentive to duck out of the way, dragging Katara with him. The boy ducked as Appa let out a giant sneeze, snot flying out of his noise and hitting an unfortunate Sokka full-blast.

"Don't worry, it'll wash out," Aang informed the warrior cheerfully after Sokka's initial freak-out, which consisted of screeching in disgust and rubbing himself in the snow.

_"Yeeach!"_ Sokka replied in disgust.

"So," Aang continued as if his pet covering strangers in snot was an everyday occurrence, "do you guys live around here?"

"Don't answer that!" Sokka suddenly broke in, having succeeded in ridding himself of the worst of the bison goo. He strode in between the boy and his sister and friend, obviously very put out. "Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy!"

"Oh, yeah, I'm_ sure_ he's a spy for the Fire Navy," Katara snapped sarcastically, stepping between the boy and her brother while glaring at the latter. "You can tell by that _evil_ look in his eye."

The three teens looked over at the boy, who flashed them a silly smile, one eyebrow wagging for effect. Yusei smiled, liking the boy's easy friendliness.

"Don't worry," he said to the boy, stepping forward. "He thinks every stranger he meets works for the Fire Nation. Trust me. I'm Yusei, by the way."

"Hey, Yusei," the kid replied, shaking Yusei's outstretched hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Katara, as you know already," said Katara. "And the paranoid one is my brother, Sokka. You never told us your name."

"I'm A-aah," the boy tried to say, but his face suddenly scrunched up into what appeared to be the start of a sneeze. "Aah, ahh aaah aaagh, ah-ah-ah, AAAAAACHOOOOOOOOO!"

The boy let out a sneeze even louder and more ferocious than his bison's. He was actually blasted off of his feet, rocketing straight up into the air. The Water Tribe trio flinched as a gust of wind from the sneeze blew around them, and Sokka flailed wildly, wary about getting covered in snot again. The three of them watched in amazement as the boy fell back to earth, sliding down the icy slope and landing on his feet right where he was before. He almost lost balance once, but he smiled at the trio as if nothing unusual had happened.

"I'm Aang," the boy finished, sniffing and skimming his finger beneath his nose.

Sokka, Katara, and Yusei gaped at him. "You just sneezed!" Sokka exclaimed, pointing skyward. "And flew ten feet in the air!"

"Really?" Aang asked, looking up at the sky critically. "It felt higher than that.

Suddenly, Katara gasped, apparently having realized something. "You're an _airbender!_" she exclaimed.

"Sure am," Aang confirmed with a nod.

Yusei frowned, turning to Katara and murmuring, "But, Katara, I thought you said-"

"Not now," she suddenly hissed, cutting him off with a look, her gaze flickering back to the boy. Fortunately, Sokka chose that moment to input his thoughts.

"Giant light beams, flying bison,_ airbenders_... I think I've got Midnight Sun Madness," Sokka declared, gesturing wildly at the weirdness around him before turning and stalking off. "I'm going home to where stuff makes sense…"

Sokka trailed off as he came to the edge of the iceberg, staring out at the endless expanse of arctic ocean. "Oh, by the way, Sokka," Yusei said helpfully, "we're stranded on a frozen island in the middle of the ocean. Just thought I'd let you know."

Katara giggled behind her mitten as Sokka turned and narrowed his eyes at Yusei. Aang also laughed, please to hear that one of his new friends had some kind of humor.

"Well," Aang offered, "if you guys are stuck, Appa and I can give you a lift."

Aang jumped lightly into the air, spinning as a gust of wind lifted him onto Appa's head, and then leapt nimbly onto the bison's saddle. Yusei was starting to think of the little airbender as the world's first Peter Pan.

"We'd love a ride!" replied Katara as Yusei gathered their packs, which they somehow had managed not to lose. "Thanks!"

"Oh, no," Sokka said stubbornly as his sister and Yusei ran around Appa to climb up on his massive tail. "I am _not _getting on that fluffy snot monster!"

Yusei was already on the creature's back, arranging their packs next to Aang's stuff, which consisted of a small knapsack of supplies, a blanket, and some kind of wooden rod. Katara glared down at her brother as Aang helped her into the saddle and asked him, "Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home? You know, before you freeze to death?"

Sokka raised a finger and started to say something, but paused. Finally, he sighed and slumped in defeat.

"Look on the bright side, Sokka," Yusei said cheerfully as his friend stomped around the beast and began to climb up his tail. "At least we don't have to worry about Appa getting crushed by icebergs."

"Oh, you definitely won't have to worry about that!" Aang assured them as he offered his hand to Sokka. "We're going to be flying, after all!"

Sokka glowered at Aang and brushed past him without taking his hand. "Yeah, whatever, air boy. Just get us back to the Southern Water Tribe village."

"Ai-eye, captain!" Aang agreed, performing an extravagant military solute before winking at Katara and airbending himself over their heads and onto Appa's head. Sokka smoothed his hair from this most recent gust of wind and sat down at Katara's right, looking grumpy and surly. Yusei settled down on Katara's other side, curious as to whether or not Appa would really fly. Aang seemed to believe he would.

"Okay!" the young airbender yelled back from his position on Appa's head, taking a pair of reigns tied around the bison's horns. "First time flyers, hold on tight! Appa, _yip-yip_!"

Aang snapped the reins, and Appa gave a low, rumbling growl. The bison slowly raised his large tail and used it to launchi himself into the air. Yusei's heart skipped a bit as, for a moment, he wondered if they were actually going to fly. But them his stomach dropped as Appa spread out his six legs and belly-flopped into the water.

"Come on, Appa, yip-yip!" Aang commanded again with a shake of the reins as the beast began to swim forward.

"Wow," Sokka said sarcastically as Katara crawled to the front of the saddle. "That was truly amazing."

"Appa's just tired," Aang said in defense of his bison." A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. You'll see!"

Katara smiled at the young boy as his eyes rested on her. She leaned over to grab something from her pack, but she looked back up to see Aang still smiling brightly at her.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Katara asked, cocking an eyebrow.  
**  
**Aang's smile faded and he looked surprised as he replied, "O-oh, I was smiling?"

Sokka groaned, sticking his tongue out and rolling his head back. Yusei rolled his eyes and stretched himself out on the saddle, lacing his fingers behind his head. Katara crawled back and sat near him, and he turned his head toward her.

"So, Katara," he murmured so Aang wouldn't hear him, "I thought you said the Fire Nation had wiped out all the airbenders."

"I thought they had," Katara whispered back. "No one has seen one in a hundred years."

"Aang doesn't exactly look that old," Yusei thought out loud. "There must be a few who escaped."

"But we have to consider how long he might have been in that iceberg," replied Katara. "And how on Earth he got in it in the first place."

Yusei nodded. "By all logical means, Aang should not be alive. He couldn't have been in that iceberg for very long. Certainly not for a hundred years… right?"

The look Katara gave him told Yusei that at this point, anything was possible. "You think that weird blue light had something to do with him surviving?"

"I have no idea," Katara muttered, looking over toward where Aang was sitting, at the front end of the bison. "But I do wonder…"

Yusei had talked with Katara enough by now to know what she was thinking. "You don't think… he could be the Avatar, do you?" Yusei asked, sitting up on his elbows.

Katara sighed and shook her head. "No… I don't know. I think he might at least know what happened to the Avatar, since he was supposed to be reincarnated into the Air Nomads…"

Suddenly, Aang's head poked up over the lid of the saddle. "Looks like we might have a long trip ahead of us," he said cheerfully. "That means we can get to know each other better! What'cha guys talking about?"

Katara and Yusei exchanged nervous glances. They looked over at Sokka, who was grumpily sharpening his boomerang, but the warrior shrugged unhelpfully. Yusei hastily replied, "Food. Would you like some? I think we may have something for us to eat in our packs."

"I could go for food," Aang answered enthusiastically, airbending himself into the saddle with the trio. "Being frozen in a block of ice made me hungry! What'cha got?"

"Definitely not fish," Yusei joked, throwing a teasing glance at Sokka, who merely glared back darkly. Aang, however, seemed relieved.

"Oh, that's good. I'm a vegetarian, so I don't eat meat."

Katara and Yusei burst out laughing at the look of horror on Sokka's face. Yusei had a feeling this was the start of a very interesting new friendship. He hadn't forgotten about the way his mark had burned when Aang came out of the iceberg, however. Yusei had no inkling as to what that was about, or what it meant for him and his fellow signers, wherever they are. But somehow, this boy had connected them all, and Yusei had a strange feeling that Aang was the key to being reunited with his friends. Yusei just wondered where this discovery was going to lead them.

* * *

"I'm getting kind of worried about Zuko, Iroh," Elodie murmured to the old general as the two walked toward the observation deck. "He hasn't so much as looked away from the horizon since the light appeared. He's barely spoken a word or eaten anything. Dusk is falling, but he's still standing out there in his night clothes."

"It happens every time he thinks he's found a new lead," Iroh informed her grimly. "He holds onto every slight possibility that comes his way like a beggar clings to scraps of bread."

"More like how a luckless hunter stalks his prey," Elodie observed. "I don't understand why he's so obsessed about the Avatar. I get he wants to go home, but what then? His father doesn't want him-"

"That's just it," Iroh interrupted. "Zuko believes capturing the Avatar is the only way to regain the Fire Lord's love."

"But love doesn't work that way!" Elodie argued in disbelief. "It shouldn't, anyway! If a man is willing to burn and banish his own son for merely speaking his mind, and do it without remorse, then he never really loved him. Capturing the Avatar won't change that."

"You speak wise words, Elodie. Words I have related to Zuko on multiple occasions. But Zuko is adamant. He believes the only hope he has of regaining his old life is to do something to aid the Fire Nation in the war, something that would be incomparable to anything else. Zuko feels that in doing so, he will prove his worth to his father"

Elodie was speechless with anger and disbelief. She never had a father or any fatherly figure in her life, but she could not understand how any parent could do such a thing, or expect such a thing, from a child. It was… inconceivable. Abhorrent. In her time, there was a phrase for the Fire Lord's treatment of Zuko: child abuse.

"That doesn't mean Zuko should deprive himself of food and sleep," Elodie finally muttered. "Can't you talk to him? You're his uncle."

Iroh smiled sadly. "That, I am. Maybe you should remind Zuko of that for me. He hasn't been very keen on accepting my advice in recent years. Banishment has turned him unpleasant and truculent, to say the least."

"Not always," Elodie disagreed softly. "I've seen him be kind and gentle as well, though not very often, I'll admit. He saved me from that storm, after all, and he's helped me with my training. He believed I could be part of the crew."

"He did indeed," Iroh consented thoughtfully, stopping for a moment in the hallway. As Elodie stopped and turned to him, he smiled and suggested, "Maybe you should talk to him, Elodie."

"Me?" Elodie repeated, taken aback. "But… I don't see how I could do anything different from what you've done. You've been with him all his life; I've only known him a week!"

"Even so," Iroh persisted, "I feel you both have made a strong connection to one another. You are the closest thing Zuko has had to a friend in a while, Elodie. He may listen to someone closer to his age."

With that, Iroh continued walking toward the deck. Still slightly shocked, Elodie numbly followed Iroh to the observation deck, where thy found Zuko staring out toward the horizon, wearing a robe over his night clothes.

"I'm going to bed now," Iroh announced, stretching his arms over his head and yawning loudly. "Yep. A man needs his rest."

Zuko did not so much as turn his head.

Iroh lowered his arms and gazed solemnly at his nephew. "Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you're right and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him. Your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all tried and failed."

Elodie frowned. She did not think Iroh's speech was much of an encouraging pep talk. Zuko, however, refused to be brought down.  
**  
**"Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture," Zuko said in a steely voice, still without turning. "Mine does. This coward's hundred years in hiding are _over_."

Elodie shook her head, amazed by Zuko's determination, but still at loss for what this drive could possibly gain him. Iroh sighed sadly and turned to head back into the ship.

"I hope you have better luck," he murmured to Elodie as he passed her. Elodie suddenly realized she had just been volunteered to talk sense into Prince Zuko. Lucky her.

Taking a deep breath, Elodie stepped onto the deck and moved to stand next to Zuko, leaning her forearms against the railing and staring out at the horizon. Zuko glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, but said nothing. Like him, Elodie wore a thin robe over her nightgown. She wore her hair down, the brown waves falling over her shoulders and back as a few strands rose and fell with the wind. The two stood together in a rather awkward silence, each waiting for the other to speak, but both apprehensive about being the first to speak.

Finally, Elodie worked up the courage and broke the silence. "You know, I rather think the morning and evening are the best times of the day. The sun rising brings hope and awakening for a new day to come, and the sun setting brings the world to peace and rest, with enough time in between to prepare for another step through life."

"You've been hanging around my uncle too much," Zuko muttered bluntly. "Besides, they say it's what you do in the middle of the beginning and the end that really states who you are."

Elodie looked up and smiled at the prince. "So you are related to your uncle, after all," she teased lightly."

Zuko looked away from her, his expression unchanged. Elodie sighed; on a good day, the prince might have cracked a smile at the friendly jab. But now, he seemed too focused to allow himself even that little luxury.

"You know, Zuko, if the Avatar really is out there, how do you expect to face him without any rest?" Elodie began cautiously. "You really should try to get some sleep."

"Will people stop telling me what to do?" Zuko exploded suddenly. "I know what's good for me!"

Elodie looked shocked and hurt at the sudden outburst. Suddenly, she stood straight and turned to fully face the prince, her expression angry and set, and shot back, "Really? Then why are you trying to capture the Avatar?"

Zuko whirled around to face her, so shocked and angry he could hardly speak. Elodie continued, "I don't understand why you want to go home so badly, especially to a father who would banish his own son!"

"That's because you don't know my father," Zuko growled furiously. "You don't know _anything!_ And you _especially_ don't know me, so don't pretend you do!"

"I never said I did," Elodie snapped back. "That's the problem. I _want_ to know, Zuko. I want to understand."

"Maybe I don't want you to! Who made it any of your business?"

Elodie glared at the prince, her own temper rising to contend with his. "Well, excuse me for caring, your royal highness! You just looked like you had a lot on your mind and needed someone to talk to. That's what friends do, right?"

Zuko looked away, trying to mask his shock at her calling him her friend. "Sometimes," he muttered, "it's best to keep what's on your mind where it is."

"What do you mean?" Elodie asked, her expression softening at the prince's change in tone. Zuko didn't answer, and after a moment, Elodie sighed and leaned back on the railing. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry so much. It's just… I'm used to understanding people. But with you… I feel like I'm talking to an angry mask. I just can't figure you out."

Zuko was so surprised he turned around again, staring thoughtfully at his new soldier. He had never heard anyone describe his demeanor this way, and she had said it so simply, like it was an obvious fact… which he guessed it was.

"I know how it feels to be bitter, Zuko," Elodie continued, gazing up at the twilight sky. "A few years ago, before my friends found me, I was in a bad place in life. I lived alone in a rough town full of some truly horrible people. I resented humanity and hated myself even more. All I ever saw in the world was injustice. I thought the entire universe was against me. I thought I would never know love or friendship. I was without hope, and it wasn't until I met my friends that I realized just in how deep of a rut I had buried myself." She turned her head to gaze at the shocked prince. "You may mask it, but I know you feel that same anger and bitterness, Zuko. I just can't figure out where it all comes from. I guess… well, I don't know about you, but I consider you my friend, and I guess I just wanted to help you out. Friends do that too, you know."

Zuko stared at Elodie like she had just descended from the Spirit World. Elodie gazed back passively, waiting for his response, her hazel eyes boring into his amber ones. The problem was, Zuko wasn't sure he had a good response. Elodie's openness and honest had him floored. She had asked him question he had never considered… or perhaps he had never wanted to consider them.

"you know what?" Zuko finally said, turning away from her and the horizon. "I think I'll go to bed after all."

Elodie watched Zuko as he walked back across the deck and entered the ship. The air around her suddenly felt much colder, and she pulled her robe more tightly around her and sighed sadly as she gazed out at the sea. At least Zuko was going to get some sleep now. Even so, she felt like she had somehow failed the Prince. But what was there to do for a person who obviously didn't think he needed help?

TO BE CONTINUED...

_**REVIEWS, PLEASE!**_


	4. The Boy in the Iceberg Part 3

Sorry it took so long to get this up, everyone! I just finished my first week at college and I'm sure most of you will understand that my studies are a priority right now. I have managed to find some time for this, though :) Here's the next part!

* * *

"Again."

At his uncle's command, Zuko shot two simultaneous bursts of fire at the two soldiers helping him train from his fist. The soldiers easily dodged the attack before sending their own fiery attacks, but Zuko ducked under their blasts and leapt into the air, back-flipping over them and blasting more fire in midair. Elodie, who was watching from the railing, was grateful to be sitting this training session out; she still wasn't comfortable with the whole idea of firebending. But it wasn't just the firebending that was making her nervous now: it was Zuko. The prince's face was scrunched up in concentration and frustration as he landed facing his soldiers, which was understandable since he had been repeating this same sequence all afternoon, but it was obvious he wasn't concentrating on the right things. He had become moody and surly since the events of the day before, and his presence made Elodie feel unsettled.

"I thought that one was a bit better," she said, trying to be helpful.

But Iroh sighed and stood from his stool." No! Power in firebending comes from the _breath_! Not the _muscles._ The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes _fire_!"

To emphasize the point, Iroh shot a well-controlled plume of flame from his fist, right in front of Zuko's face. The prince didn't flinch or change his expression, but Elodie thought she understood what Iroh was saying. Even in that simple move, she had noticed the difference between Zuko's power and Iroh's energy. Iroh had more control over the fire, but more power as well.

_"_Get it right this time," Iroh requested of the prince. He was obviously getting just as irritable as his nephew was today.

"Enough!" Zuko snapped, obviously at his wits end as he approached his uncle. "I've been drilling this sequence all day! Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready."

"No, you are impatient," Iroh corrected, speaking Elodie's own thoughts, as he sat back down on his stool. "You have yet to master your basics. _Drill it again!_"

Zuko let out a furious growl and swung his foot around. Elodie was afraid he was about to strike the old general, but then he turned and kicked a fire blast out at one of his soldiers. The soldier hastily blocked the attack with his own fire, but the blast was still powerful enough to knock him onto his back.  
**  
**"The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last airbender," Zuko said angrily, turning and advancing on his uncle again. "He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements. I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him. You WILL teach me the advanced set!"

Elodie crossed her arms and glared at the prince disapprovingly. Iroh also glared at his nephew's furious face for a moment, but then he said, "Very well. But first I must finish my roast duck."

Zuko grimaced in disgust as his uncle began nom-noming on a bowl of stewed meat. He turned to Elodie for help, but Elodie just continued frowning at him.

"What's your problem?" Zuko demanded.

"I could ask you the same thing," Elodie replied coolly. "Your uncle is just trying to help, and he is your teacher. You might want to show him a little more respect and gratitude."

"He's an old fool and he's holding me back!" Zuko growled, walking toward her threateningly. "You said earlier you thought I was doing a good job!"

"General Iroh is not a fool, Zuko, and you know it! And I'm not a firebender, so what would I know? I was just trying to make you feel better."

"Who's side are you on?" the prince demanded.

"The side of _reason_," Elodie replied, her eyes boring into Zuko's. The prince knew Elodie was referring to their argument the evening before, and instead of answering, he stalked back to his trainers, his fists smoking. Deciding to give the prince some space, Elodie moved away from the main deck and climbed up to the observation deck.

As she leaned approached the railing and leaned against it, Elodie pondered what was happening to her friendship – if one could even call it that – with Zuko. Ever since that beam of light had appeared the day before, the prince had been nothing but cold and angry toward everyone – including her. Every time they talked, they wound up arguing, and when they didn't talk, there was a tangible tension between them, like a wall keeping them apart. And Elodie truly hated it. Zuko was beginning to remind her of Kalin in the old days, when he had started going a little control-crazy, and she remember all too well how that had worked out. But she must not have learned anything from it, because she had no idea how to help Zuko see what a jerk he was being.

Then again, who had made it her responsibility to teach the fire prince manners? Why did she care how he acted or what he did? The only reason she stayed on the ship was because she hoped she could find her friends on this crazy voyage. And she felt like she was close to doing just that. They just had to find the Avatar, and if they did, she would have to hope Zuko would let her talk to him. She was sure it was going to be dangerous, since the Avatar seemed like such a formidable foe, but she would have to risk it. The Avatar was somehow tied into everything, she knew that much. It all centered on him.

Elodie gazed out at the sea, immersed in her thoughts. The sun, now low in the clear afternoon sky, warmed her body through her thick armor, defying the cold Antarctic air. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, basking in the comfortable heat. For some reason, she was reminded of all the firebending she had seen, and Iroh's earlier words floated to the surface of her thoughts:

_Power comes from the breath. Not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and creates fire._

The same thing could be said for all kinds of fighting, couldn't it? Elodie had often found that when she was fighting someone, it was easier to defeat her opponent by using their energy against them, rather than trying to use just her strength. She suddenly recalled seeing Zuko meditating earlier in the week, and she found herself stepping away from the railing and sitting on the deck in that same position, legs crossed, hands linking in front of her. She focused on her breathing, in and out, in and out, slowly, steadily, making it into a rhythm. She found her inner energy and tried to match it with her breathing, and she wound up focusing on the sun. As its warmth filled her, she discovered something awakening inside of her, not unlike the feeling she got whenever she used her psychic abilities back home. She could almost feel the heat from the sun pulsing through her like a heartbeat, like it had its own life. She pictured the sun's surface, fiery lave-like flames twisting and swirling and splashing. Then she saw Iroh and Zuko firebending, flames escaping through their pores, an outward representation of their inner energy and life force, just like the sun. How had she not realized how fascinating it was? She had let fear blind her for the beauty and life fire could be. A flicker of desire flared up inside of her, and Elodie found herself imaging _herself _firebending, flames pouring out of her hands and feet and mouth. What power, what energy, what life, what adrenaline and passion would she feel?

"Elodie?"

Iroh's voice broke through her concentration and the illusion snapped, her brilliant revelation whisking away like a breeze. Elodie's eyes snapped open and she whirled around to find the general approaching her. She stood immediately and turned to him, snapping into attention.

"Yes, general? Is there anything you need?"

Iroh stared at her curiously, almost suspiciously. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright," he said slowly. "I saw you and Zuko talking and wondered if you had had an argument."

Elodie sighed. "Yeah, we did, kind of. We seem to be doing that a lot, lately. I'm sorry if it's interfering with your training."

"Not at all," Iroh said with a shake of his head. "We just decided to take a break. Would you like to join us for some tea?"

Elodie smiled. "I would be delighted to, General."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Iroh smiled and winked. "You can just call me Iroh."

Elodie nodded and smiled again as she walked past the general. Behind her back, Iroh watched her curiously, rubbing his beard. He knew he had walked in on her meditating, but what on? Even more mysteriously, when Elodie had opened her eyes to look at him, Iroh could have sworn her eyes, which were usually a clear hazel, were dimly glowing amber.

* * *

_"_Now men," Sokka proclaimed in his best warrior-coach voice, "it's important that you show no fear when you face a firebender. In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing. For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?"

Yusei looked down at Sokka's audience from his position against the wall behind the warrior: there were six boys, not one of them older than ten, staring up at Sokka with blank, childlike expressions. In answer to Sokka's little speech, one boy raised his hand and announced, "I gotta pee!"

**"**Listen!" Sokka ordered, clearly annoyed. "Until your fathers return from the war, they're counting on you to be the men of this tribe. And that means no potty breaks!"

**"**But I really gotta go!" the boy persisted, holding himself and looking desperate.

"Come on, Sokka," said Yusei helpfully. "They're just kids."  
**  
**Sokka turned to glower at him before giving in. "Okay... who else has to go?"

All six of the boys raised their hands. Sokka smacked his forehead and groaned in frustration as the kids headed toward small igloo that served as an outhouse. Yusei pushed off the ice barrier and patting Sokka's shoulder comfortingly.

"They'll grow up someday, Sokka. Just give them a few years and they'll be as strong and wise as you are."

Sokka smiled and puffed out his chest proudly. Then he caught the sarcastic note in Yusei's voice and deflated, glaring at his friend. "You're mocking me, aren't you."

Yusei shrugged and smiled. "You said it, not me," he said with another pat on Sokka's shoulder. As he turned away, he noticed Katara approaching them, a slightly worried look on her face.

"Hey, Katara," Yusei greeted. "Something wrong?"

" Have you guys seen Aang?" Katara asked in reply. "Gran-Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago!"

Yusei frowned. "Actually, I haven't seen him sicne-"

"Wow!" Aang's voice suddenly reached them, and the three teens turned to see him coming out of the outhouse, smiling at Sokka's group of warriors. "_Everything _freezes in there!"

As the children laughed gleefully, Sokka growled furiously and cried, "Katara, get him out of here! This lesson is for warriors only."

Suddenly, a child's cheerful cry echoed across the ice behind them. Sokka whirled around to see the little boys using Appa's manatee-like tail as a slide by propping it up on a sawhorse and sliding down and into a pile of snow. Aang was overlooking the project from Appa's head, laughing along with the children, and soon Katara and Yusei were laughing as well. Sokka, however, was less than pleased.

"Stop! Stop it right now!" He ordered, slipping across the ice as he ran over to the structure and began taking it down, glaring at Aang._ "_What's wrong with you? We don't have time for fun and games with a war going on!"  
**  
**But Aang just looked down at the frustrated boy in puzzlement. "What war?" he asked, jumping down from Appa's head._ "_What are you talking about?"

Yusei felt a shock go through his system at the boy's honest question. Yusei had though the very same thing when Katara and Sokka told him about the century-old war going on between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world. How did Aang not know about it either?

"You're kidding, right?" Sokka asked irritably as Katara frowned at the little airbender.

Aang looked like he was about to answer, but then his gaze shifted to something behind the three teens. His eyes widened in excitement and he suddenly shouted, _**"**__**PENGUIN**__**!"**_

Sokka, Katara, and Yusei whirled around to see a four-winged penguin waddling lazily across the ice. When it spotted them watching it, it gave a startled sort of barking-squawk noise and waddled back in the direction it came, moving as fast as its webbed feet would carry it. Aang shot off after the creature with a burst of wind, moving at an impossible speed across the ice and leaving a trail of snowy powder in his wake. The three teens just stared after him in shock.

"He's kidding," Sokka stated again, but he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. "Right?" he added as an afterthought, exchanging a look with his sister and friend. But Yusei turned and walked away, deeply immersed in his own thoughts.

_Aang is just as clueless about what's happening in this world as I am,_ Yusei realized as he walked across the village, his eyes cast down toward the ice. _At least now I'm not the only one who's ignorant. But how could that be? He comes from this time period. The only explanation for him not knowing about the war would be that he hadn't had any contact with the world in the last hundred years. But how would that be possible? Unless…_

"Hey, Yusei!"

Yusei stopped and turned to see Katara jogging toward him. He turned and waited for her to stop in front of him before asking, "What is it, Katara?"

"I just wanted to know if you were alright," Katara explained. "You seemed a little upset."

Yusei shook his head. "Not upset, but… I guess I'm a little troubled."

"About what?" Katara asked.

"It's just… it's Aang. Have you ever wondered… how long he might have survived in that iceberg?"

Katara seemed startled as she replied, "Yeah, actually, I have. It couldn't have been very long, could it?"

"I'm just trying to get a scientific view of the situation," Yusei stated, folding his arms and narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. "All logic says a boy his size and age couldn't have survived in those conditions for very long, but… I mean, he was in an _iceberg_. I may not be from the South Pole, but I know those don't freeze up overnight. And it was full of air, too, so it's possible he could have lived in a comatose state for a while… maybe. But then he would have needed food and water…"

Yusei silently cursed his ignorance and, once again, felt a harsh pang of longing for Akiza. She was more apt at the medical science than he was; he was just an engineer, for crying out loud!

"Yusei," Katara spoke up, breaking through Yusei's thoughts, as she put a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes, "are you wondering all of this because of Aang's question about the war? 'Cause if you're thinking what I'm thinking…"

"I think I am," Yusei agreed. "Is it possible that Aang was in that iceberg before the war began? _A hundred years ago?_"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. The Boy in the Iceberg Part 4

Hello again, everyone! Just wanted to answer a very thoughtful review I got on the last chapter: The question was how Bruno was still in this story if he was killed in Arc Cradle just before Yusei dueled Z-One, because I did mention that very duel in a previous chapter. I did state in the story description that this story was A.U., and even though Bruno did die in the original series, I thought that part of the show seriously sucked and decided to keep Bruno alive and happy. :) Because we all love Bruno to death and would hate to see him gone. So there's that! Enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

"The Avatar has been alive all this time, Chie," Akiza murmured as she and her fox friend continued their trek through the desert. "He has to be; I felt it through my Mark. And the others are alive as well! But how do we find them if they're so spread out?"

Chie just growled softly. Her tail and ears were drooping wearily and there was a dull glaze in her eyes. The pair had been walking for almost twelve hours straight, the urgency born from Akiza's Mark of the Dragon burning keeping them going, and they were finally at the edge of the desert, close to a deep gorge around which several trees and plants were struggling through the hard, dry earth. Akiza was just as exhausted as Chie was, sweat dripping down her face and her limbs shaking with every step.

"You're right, Chie," the red-haired girl murmured. "Let's take a break. We should be close to a town somewhere…"

Akiza plopped down on the ground with a sigh, wiping sweat from her forehead as she reached into the pack Wan Shi Tong had given her. To her dismay, she found most of her water supply gone and little food left. She threw an empty water canteen into the pack with an angry grunt, frustrated with herself for not having the foresight to buy extra food and water at Misty Palms. As Chie sniffed around the edge of the gorge, Akiza pulled out one of the maps from the Spirit library and laid it out in front of her. This one was of the entire world and the nations. At the start of her journey, Akiza had marked on the map the spots she knew her friends were at: Yusei and Elodie in the South Pole, Crow in the Batola Mountains, Jack at the Fire Nation Capitol, Bruno in the North Pole. Akiza had marked her own path during the long walk across the desert herself, and looking at the map, she could see that the closest human settlement was Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom capitol, but that was still a long ways away. She could see a few little farm villages scattered around the edge of a large lake, and she was toying with the idea of going to one of them for supplies when Chie suddenly gave a loud bark.

"What is it, girl?" Akiza asked wearily, looking up at the large fox. Chie was pacing restlessly at the edge of the gorge, whimpering and gazing back and forth from Akiza to the gorge with worried eyes. Frowning, Akiza got up and walked to the edge of the gorge. When she looked down, she saw what was alarming the knowledge seeker: a man was lying face down at the bottom of the gorge, clearly unconscious.

"Oh, no!" Akiza gasped. "He must have fallen! We have to help him!"

Chie barked again and ran along to the edge to a steep slope that led down into the gorge. Akiza followed quickly, sweeping her pack back onto her shoulders, and carefully slid down the slope to the bottom.

"Are you alright, sir?" she cried, falling to her knees by the unconscious man. "Can you hear me?"

Akiza carefully rolled the man onto his back, trying not to jar any injuries he might have. The man looked to be somewhere in his thirties and was dressed in clothing not unlike Akiza's own desert outfit: a long, thin, robe-like shirt held in place by a leather belt, pants tucked into thick wrapping that covered his shins and worn boots, similar wrapping covering his forearms all the way beneath his quarter-length sleeves, and a short hooded cape. The man's hood fell and revealed a short crop of black hair on his head. Before Akiza could do anything more, the man's eyes snapped open.

"Woah!" the man exclaimed, quickly sitting up and starting about him wildly. "What? Wha…" he turned and met Akiza's surprised gaze. "Oh. Hello, young miss. Who are you?"

"Um… I'm Akiza," Akiza replied hesitantly. "Did I…. just wake you?"

"It would appear so," the man replied good naturedly, turning to sit facing her. Gazing up at the sky, he added, "Good thing, too. It looks to be far past midday, and I must be on my way."

"Oh," Akiza responded in confusion as the man stretched his arms over his head. "I'm sorry I woke you. When I saw you down here, I thought you had fallen and were hurt."

The man smiled at her as he stood. "Well, that was very kind of you to be concerned. I'm sorry I frightened you. I just came out of the desert, you see, and had decided to camp here for the night. In fact, where did I put my pack…"

Akiza got to her feet and, looking around, spotted the man's pack sitting on the ground near a large rock. Chie was sniffing at it curiously, her ears perked forward and tail twitching. "Here it is, sir," she said, walking over and picking up the heavy pack. There were actually two bags, a satchel and a backpack, along with a bedroll and a wide-brimmed straw hat. Akiza heard the clink of metal and the shuffle of papers in the bags as she handed them off to the camper.

"Thank you," the man said politely as he took his bags and began putting them on his back. "My name is Professor Zei, by the way: the head anthropologist at Ba Sing Se University."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, professor," Akiza affirmed, shaking Zei's outstretched hand. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you doing in the desert?"

"Well," Zei sighed, "I was trying to find a lost historic treasure, but once again, I came out empty. This last trip was my seventh one into the desert, and I barely made it out alive."

"Oh. I'm sorry your adventure didn't turn out the way you'd hoped, professor."

Zei smiled sadly. "Thank you for your consideration, Miss Akiza. I guess it is now time for me to continue on my journey."

"Are you going back to Ba Sing Se?" Akiza asked curiously, walking alongside the professor, Chie right on her heels, as he turned back down the gorge.

"Actually, I am heading toward the South," the professor replied. "I have some other exertions across the Earth Kingdom I need to attend to before returning to the capitol."

"The South?" Akiza exclaimed. "I have some friends down south that I'm trying to find!"

Zei stopped and looked over at her curiously. "Well, if you know where they are, they must not be too lost."

Akiza looked away and replied, "They don't know where I am, though. We all got separated a while back, and I've been trying to find them, but I'm not very familiar with the land here. I really hate to impose myself, but if you could be so kind as to let me accompany you on your journey, professor, I would greatly appreciate it."

Zei appraised her thoughtfully for a moment before replying, "You seem like a strong, intelligent young woman, miss Akiza, and I wouldn't mind some companionship. If you need help finding your friends, then I would be delighted to assist you."

Akiza sighed in relief and beamed at the professor. "Thank you so much, Professor Zei! You hear that, Chie? We're on our way!"

The fox barked happily and leaned into Akiza's hand as the girl scratched her ears. Professor Zei gazed down Chie curiously, something lighting up his eyes.

"Well, what an intelligent creature you have here," he exclaimed, kneeling down in front of the fox. "What was it you called her?"

"Chie," Akiza replied as the fox allowed the professor to pat her head. "She's a desert fox. She got me out of a sticky situation last week and has been with me ever since."

The professor smiled. "Has she, now? Well, I would be honored to have both of you join me on my journey. The more keen eyes we have, the more knowledge we are bound to find!"

* * *

Zuko found Elodie practicing her swordsmanship on the main deck. She had told Uncle Iroh and Lieutenant Jee that her main combat weapons were knives and a bow and arrow, but Jee decided that she needed to master the sword for more close-contact battles, since her chosen weapons were better for long distances. She had been working diligently on improving her technique since she joined the crew, and Zuko could see an obvious improvement. He watched her for a moment as she thrusted and parried and sliced at her invisible opponent as though the air had paid her a personal insult, and for a small moment, the prince felt guilty for how he had treated her the last couple of days. She had only been on the ship a week; she didn't yet understand how vital this voyage was to the prince. Then again, he hadn't helped her understand much either. He knew that if she was going to be an ally, he was going to have to be honest with her. But opening up to people wasn't exactly Zuko's strongest suite, since it was a similar act that stuck him into this situation in the first place. With a heavy sigh, Zuko hefted his own pair of duel swords in his hand and walked forward.

"Very good," he said, giving one of his rare compliments to announce his presence. Elodie looked up in the middle of a thrust and stood straight, glaring coldly at the prince as he approached. "But you're swinging the sword around like one of Uncle's noodles. You need to be more in control."

Elodie glowered at him. "Oh, yes, because you know all about control, don't you?" she asked sarcastically.

Zuko bit back the angry retort that sprang from his throat and closed his eyes, allowing himself a low growl. When he opened his eyes again, his temper in check, he raised his swords, held tight together, in front of him. "A sword shouldn't just be a weapon. It should be an extension of your own strength. You have to be in tune with the blade." Zuko pulled his swords apart and began swinging them in wide arcs around his body, taking different offensive and defensive stances. "To use a sword, you have to know the balance, strength, and flexibility of the blade, and then attune your own strength to it. You have to work with the blade just as much as you control it."

Elodie's gaze softened only slightly as she watched the prince. "I didn't know you were a swordsman."

Zuko straightened up and faced her. "I don't use swords often. I practiced duel swords as a kid for fun."

Elodie almost smiled at the thought of Prince Zuko having fun. She hadn't even known the word was in his vocabulary. "Do you still practice with it?"

"Sometimes."

Elodie raised her sword in front of her and said, "Show me."

Zuko's eyes narrowed. "Duel swords are different from broadswords, Elodie."

"You still know how to fight with steel, don't you? Show me how it's done."

Well, Zuko was never one to back down from a challenge. He got into a fighting stance, one sword held out in front of him and the other held over his head, and Elodie attacked first, swinging her sword over her head and rushing toward the prince. As she thrust the blade down, Zuko crossed his swords over his head and blocked Elodie's attack, pushing her away from him.

"Don't force the sword to do the work," Zuko coached. "Feel it in your grasp, but let it do what it wants."

Zuko spun and swung one of his swords downward toward her, and Elodie held her sword up horizontally to block the attack. Taking the prince's advice into account, she pushed Zuko's sword away and let her own weapon spin in her hand as she turned and blocked Zuko's second thrust. Before either of them knew it, the two were locked in a heated battle of steel, with Zuko shouting advice and instruction over the clang of metal and Elodie rushing to follow it. Elodie thought she was beginning to understand what Zuko had meant about being in tune with her sword. As the fight continued, she began to feel as though the sword was a part of her own body. Again, she remembered what Iroh had said about breathing and energy, and she applied that to her sword fighting. Zuko noticed the sudden shift in her technique and was amazed by how quickly she was catching on. He was so surprised, in fact, that it wasn't long before one of his swords was thrust out of his hand and Elodie's blade hovered over his shoulder, right next to his neck.

"That was better," Zuko told her through heavy breaths. "We'll make a swordswoman out of you yet."

Elodie let out a sigh and lowered her sword, wiping sweat from her brow as she said, "Why is it that we always seem to connect when we're locked in some form of battle? That's not exactly the definition of a healthy relationship."

Elodie honestly hadn't been trying to imply anything in the comment, but Zuko's heart did a strange little badger-frog leap in his chest at the word "relationship." Shaking it off and stepping back, he sheathed his duel swords and moved toward the railing. "I guess I'm not that good at… well, having good relationships with people. It's hard for me to admit, but… I'm sorry I've been so cold to you these last few days."

"It's okay," Elodie told him, moving to stand beside him. "I think I can understand a little bit. I get irritable when I'm frustrated and stressed as well, as you well know by now."

Zuko cracked another smile. "I haven't been doing much to help you understand, either. It's just… difficult for me to open up about certain things…"

Elodie could see the struggle in his eyes and rested a hand on his forearm to stop him. "It's okay, Zuko. You don't have to explain anything to me if you don't want to yet. I totally understand that difficulty, believe me."

Zuko looked over at her, puzzled. "What do you mean? What do you have trouble opening up about?"

"A lot of things, I guess. A lot of them I kind of talked about last night. It's just hard to talk about things that might give other people the impression that you're not as strong as you want to appear. Especially things that are deep in your past, because sharing those things leaves you vulnerable."

_Wow,_ Zuko thought, gazing down at Elodie as she gazed out at the sea. She really does understand… _But how? What happened to her that made her feel this way? _Zuko was sorely tempted to ask, but he held his tongue, thinking that it would be unfair to ask her about her past when he wouldn't even share his own. He was just looking back toward the sea when a flash up ahead caught his eye.

Elodie whirled around as Zuko gasped, and, following his gaze, she spotted a bright light soring into the air several miles away. "What is that?" she asked in alarm.

"It's a flare," Zuko explained, hurrying to the telescope set up at the edge of the deck. "But who set it off? And what for?"

Elodie hurried after the prince as he glued his eye to the small end of the telescope. He first found the flare, which was still high in the air, and then lowered the telescope to find what was beneath it.

"That's an old Fire Navy ship," he said in surprise. "But it's stuck in the ice. It's obvious it's been that way for a while. Who…"

That was when he saw him. A small, bulky figure colored yellow and blue leapt out of the command tower of the old ship. Zuko's breath caught in his throat, hardly daring to hope it was who he was looking for, but as the figure, which was now clearly two people, one carrying another, leapt down impossible drops from the top of the ship back to the icy land with apparent ease, he knew he was right.

"What is it, Zuko?" Elodie asked, squinting at the horizon. "What do you see?"

_"__The last airbender_," he breathed, a tone of conviction and triumph in his voice. "Quite agile for his old age."

"The last airbender?" Elodie gasped. "You mean… the Avatar?"

"It has to be," Zuko answered, looking up from his telescope. "Elodie, go wake Uncle and tell him _I found the Avatar."_

But Elodie hesitated, watching the prince nervously as he put his eye back to the telescope at the people now running away from the ship, moving his gaze to the left to see where they were heading. It wasn't hard to spot the little village sitting on the ice not too far away.

"As well as his hiding place," Zuko added quietly.


	6. The Avatar Returns Part 1

**The Avatar Returns**

The flare was still falling in the sky like large twilight star against the sunset when Katara and Aang arrived back at the village. All of its inhabitants were gathered outside the entrance to meet them, and the younger children ran forward when they saw Aang, cheering for his return. Yusei ran after them, his heart pounding nervously at the tension that now thrived in the village. He had been hunting with Sokka when they first saw the flare, and they both realized it was coming from the area where the abandoned Fire Navy ship was. Sokka's immediate assumption was that Aang was trying to send the Fire Nation a signal to attack them, but seeing the airbender's and Katara's expression of worry and guilt, Yusei wondered what the real story was.

"Are you guys alright?" Yusei asked breathlessly as he stopped before his two friends.

"We're okay," Katara answered solemnly, avoiding looking into Yusei's eyes, "but I don't know for how long. We've made a horrible mistake…"

Sokka chose that moment to step forward to confront Aang, angrily pointing an accusing finger at the airbender and proclaiming, "I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare! You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?"

"Aang didn't do anything," Katara came to Aang's defense. "It was an accident!"

"Yeah," Aang agreed. "We were on the ship and there was this booby trap and well... we boobied right into it," he concluded, rubbing the back of his bald head sheepishly.

This time, Gran-Gran stepped forward and spoke up, her aged face grim and reprimanding. "Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship. Now we could all be in danger!"

"Don't blame Katara!" Aang cried. "I brought her there." Looking down at his feet in shame, he declared, "It's my fault."

"Aha!" Sokka exclaimed, pointing once again at Aang. "The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy! The foreigner is banned from our village!"

"What?" Yusei exclaimed in surprise as the children surrounding Aang slowly filed back to where Sokka stood. "You can't do that! Aang didn't mean to hurt anyone, and he's helped us out a lot!"

"Helped us?" Sokka repeated. "How? He's done nothing but get in the way and distract us from what's important: surviving and being ready to fend of the Fire Nation!"

"He helped us get home when we were stuck on the ice!" Katara reminded him angrily. "Yusei's right, Sokka, you're making a mistake."

"No, I'm keeping my promise to Dad," Sokka argued, jabbing his thumb into his chest. "I'm protecting _you_ from threats like _him!_"

"Aang is not our enemy!" Katara cried. "Don't you see? Aang's brought us something we haven't had in a long time: fun!"

"_Fun?_" Sokka repeated incredulously. "We can't fight firebenders with _fun!_"

"You should try it sometime," Aang suggested with a smile.

"Aang, you're not helping," Yusei hushed him.

"Get out of our village," Sokka demanded of the airbender. "Now!"

"Grandmother, please, don't let Sokka do this," Katara implored, looking for some kind of support from her fellow villagers. But even Gran-Gran seemed to be in agreement with Sokka proclamation.

"Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden," she reminded her granddaughter. "Sokka is right. I think it best if the airbender leaves."

"Fine!" Katara cried, her voice catching. "Then I'm banished too! C'mon, Aang, let's go!" She grabbed Aang's wrist and lead him back the way they had come.

"Wait- Katara, hang on!" Yusei exclaimed, hurrying to catch up with her.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sokka demanded, sounding both angry and alarmed.

"To find a waterbender!" Katara replied, barely turning her head as her voice filled with conviction. "Aang is taking me to the North Pole!"

"He is?" Yusei asked.

"I am?" Aang asked as well, momentarily confused. Then his expression brightened to a happy smile. "Great!"

"Katara!" Sokka called to her, his tone making her stop in her tracks. "Would you really choose him over your tribe?" he demanded. "Your own _family?_"

Yusei walked to Katara's side and saw the indecision and pain in her crystal-blue eyes. Aang came up to her other side and said, "Katara, I don't want to come between you and your family."

Katara looked up in alarm as Aang walked past her, toward Appa, who was sitting nearby. "So, you're leaving the South Pole?" she asked, obviously a little more than crestfallen. "This is goodbye?"

"Thanks for penguin sledding with me," Aang said, turning back to face his friend.

"Where will you go?"

Aang rested his hand on one of Appa's tree-trunk legs before replying, "I guess I'll go back home and look for the airbenders." His eyes suddenly widened and he added, "Wow. I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years! Not looking forward to that."

As Aang airbended himself up onto Appa's head and took the reins, Yusei felt a sudden sense of panic. Aang was the only clue he had to finding his lost friends, and he knew he couldn't let him leave yet. But what could he do? Sokka was never going to back down from his decision to banish the airbender…

"Aang, wait!" Yusei cried, running toward the flying bison. Aang looked down at him in surprise, as did Katara and Sokka. "Listen, I lost some friends to the sea last week, and I want to go with you to look for them."

"What?" Katara cried. "Yusei, not you too!"

She sounded close to tears. Yusei turned back to her and rested a hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes. "Thank you so much for everything you and your family has done for me, Katara. I'll never forget your kindness and hospitality. But it's time for me to move on. I know my friends are out there somewhere, and I won't be able to rest until I find them."

Katara's eyes were sparkling with tears. She tried to find the words to say to make him stay, and to somehow convince her family to let Aang stay as well, but nothing seemed to get past the lump in her throat. Understanding, Yusei reached out and pulled her into a gentle hug. When he released her, he gave her a small, reassuring smile and looked up at the village, locking eyes with Sokka. He could tell the young warrior was angry and upset, but he also understood why Yusei needed to go. With a small nod, Yusei turned away from everyone and looked up at the surprised airbender.

"So, what do you say, Aang?" he asked. "Will you help me out?"

Aang smiled and nodded. "Sure thing, Yusei! Climb aboard."

As Yusei ran around Appa to climb up to the saddle, Aang looked back at the village. "It was nice meeting everyone," he said, trying to be cheerful.

"Let's see your bison fly now, air boy," Sokka snapped resentfully, his arms folded over his chest crossly.

Unhurt by the jab, Aang looked down at his bison and said, "Come on, Appa, you can do it! Yip-yip!"

Aang snapped the reins once, and Appa gave a low rumble. Yusei braced himself in the saddle just in case, but the bison merely got to his feet, still too weary to do anything else – if he could do anything else.

"Yeah, I thought so," Sokka remarked as though he had won the argument. Suddenly, a little girl cried and ran toward Appa, her arms outstretched.

"Aang! Don't go!" she said tearfully. "We'll miss you!"

Aang no longer had the heart to try to be cheerful. "I'll miss you too" he replied in a somber tone. He looked up wistfully at Katara, whose eyes were wet and expression forlorn, sending her the same message. Finally, Aang turned away, his eyes dejected and mournful, his shoulders slumped.

"Come on, boy," Aang murmured, shaking the reins again. Appa slowly began to lumber away from the village, and Yusei turned to watch the little tribe, along with Sokka, Katara, and the little girl, fade into the distance. It was hard, leaving his new friends behind, but he felt that he had made the right choice. He wasn't one to believe in fate, but he didn't think his time in the Southern Water Tribe, nor his meeting Aang, was a coincidence. Whatever he was supposed to do in this time period, it lay with the young airbender in front of him.

"So what happened to your friends, Yusei?" Aang called back to him after a long, melancholy silence.

"We were out fishing and our ship wrecked," Yusei replied numbly, hating having to constantly lie about his situation but knowing he had no choice. "We searched around the village but never found them."

Aang turned around and smiled up at Yusei. "I'm sure we'll find them. And then I can show you the Air Temple I live in!"

"Air temple?" Yusei asked. "Where's that at?"

"It's in the Batola Mountain Range, just a few hours flight from here. I think Appa might need another day's rest before he's fit to fly, but it'll be worth the wait!"

Yusei cracked a smile. "That sound great, Aang."

* * *

"No, no, _no!_" Jeong-Jeong shouted in frustration. "Quit throwing your fists around like a drunken earthbender and _concentrate!"_

Jack growled in frustration, wishing more than ever that he could firebend just so he could shut the Fire Nation general up. Azula had hired the general to train Jack in firebending soon after they had made their deal, and after a week of nothing but meditating and "feeling the sun," Jeong-Jeong was finally permitting Jack to try to produce fire. Jack had been practicing with his master all day in the palace courtyard that was used specifically for such practice, but despite all of his efforts and Jeong-Jeong's instruction, Jack hadn't produced so much as a puff of smoke.

"Feel the heat of the sun swell within you!" Jeong-Jeong demanded as Jack moved through the firebending motions his master had demonstrated numerous times. "You must breathe it in as easily as the air! You're not feeling it!"

"I'm _trying!_" Jack exploded, clenching his fists and whirling around to face his instructor. His face and bare chest were dripping in sweat and his violet eyes were pulsing with anger. "I've done everything you said! Every! Stupid! Little! Thing! What more do you want from me?"

Jeong-Jeong sighed and shook his head in frustration. Jack thought the general looked like an irritated Siamese cat. His thin, drooping mustache and goatee were perfectly trimmed, and his gray hair was gathered in a "royal" bun on top of his head and tied with a red ribbon. He was a short, rather frail old man even with his armor on, and Jack thought he was somewhat meddled in his mind.

"What I want from you is _self-control_," Jeong-Jeong finally answered his people. "You let your frustrations and emotions run wild and unbridled! How can you expect to control fire, as wild and destructive as it is, if you can't even control yourself?"

Jack growled in frustration and turned away from his master. He had heard the whole self-control speech before numerous times, and quite frankly he didn't give a deck about what Jeong-Jeong thought. He should have known firebending would be impossible for him; Jeong-Jeong had warned him before that firebending was usually a gift people were born with, and the old master never had much confidence in him being able to learn. But Jack was stubborn; he wanted to prove the old coot wrong so bad he could feel it burning in his stomach.

He could feel it burning…

Jack took a hold of that emotion – that drive, that passion, that determination – and began to take deep, steady breaths, concentrating on the feeling. Eyes closed, he got down in his horse stance and continued breathing, imagining each breath igniting his inner fire, coaxing it from a dim glow to a bright flame. He imagined himself firebending, flames shooting from his mouth and feet and hands, just as he had been doing all week, but this time he looked at this image differently. He tried to imagine what was going on inside of him, what might bring out his inner fire and give it life. Suddenly, he understood what it was he needed: a purpose.

What was his purpose?

To prove Jeong-Jeong wrong? To get back at Azula for humiliating him? To gain power? That was what he had thought it was all this time. But there was something deeper that he was searching for. What was it?

Suddenly, Jack flashed back to his own time, the first time he had achieved Burning Soul. He remembered all the times he had felt his Signer mark burning. He remembered how it had happened just yesterday, and how he had sensed his friends through the mark…

His friends… was that it?

Jack hadn't been ignorant of their disappearance. He was just as worried about them as he was sure the others were about their situation. He had hoped trying to firebend would distract him, but so far, it wasn't succeeding. But there had been something else in his mark burning yesterday, something like a destiny, something that he had to do to bring everyone together….

That was his purpose.

Jack's eyes flew open. He didn't know what this purpose was, but he didn't really need to: he knew it was there, and he knew it was what he needed to accomplish the impossible, just as it had against Yliaster and the Dark Signers back in his time. With sudden confidence and renewed determination, Jack stepped forward, threw his fist forward, and with a loud grunt, blasted a strong gout of fire from his fist.

* * *

Twilight was just falling over the South Pole, painting the sky with soft hues of pink and purple and orange, when Aang and Yusei decided they needed a rest. They had reached the sea shores a while back and swum quite a distance from the village by this time, and Aang had chosen some icy arches on an iceberg to rest in. Appa was lying on his back in the lowest, largest arch, looking to Yusei like a fluffy centipede. Aang was in the highest, hugging himself with his staff in hand, looking rather depressed. Yusei was sitting at the edge of the iceberg, trying to catch a fish with the spear he had brought along.

As Yusei scanned the water, he heard Appa give a low rumble. He wasn't sure if it was sorrow or contentment the bison was expressing, but Aang replied to what he seemed to think Appa was saying.

"Yeah. I liked her too."

Yusei looked back and up at Aang in surprise, knowing full well the boy was talking about Katara. Aang had already told him of his and Katara's penguin sledding adventure and the conversation that took place in the Fire Navy ship, and he had suspected Aang held some admiration for Katara. And now, looking at Aang's sad, wistful expression, he knew without a doubt that the airbender had feelings for the waterbender. The revelation reminded Yusei of Akiza, and he felt a pang in his own heart. He turned to look out toward the horizon, wondering where on this strange Earth she might be…

Yusei's eyes widened. "Oh, no," he murmured. Then louder, he called, "Aang, you might want to see this!"

Aang looked around and sat up, his gray eyes following Yusei's pointed finger to what the older boy had spotted: a large, black metal ship with a red flag waving from its mast, heading further south toward the Southern Water Tribe village. Though Yusei and Aang had only seen the one frozen in the ice near the village, they both knew without a doubt that this was a Fire Navy ship.

"The village!" Aang cried, jumping down from his perch.

"We have to go back!" Yusei exclaimed. "We have to warn them!"

"You're right," Aang agreed. "Come on, Yusei! Appa, wait here!"

Appa merely growled again as Aang and Yusei raced back toward the edge of the iceberg. "Yusei, hang on!" Aang yelled, opening the wings on his staff and holding it over his head.

"What are you doing?" Yusei asked in alarm, but he grabbed the cross bar of Aang's staff as he did so. Suddenly, the young boy jumped into the air, yanking Yusei up with him. Yusei cried out as the ocean soared beneath him, and he could hear Aang groaning underneath his weight. Fortunately, the shore wasn't too far away and the two boys made it back to land before they crashed.

"I'm not going to be able to fly us back to the village," Aang panted as he twirled his staff closed and leaned forward, hands on his knees.

Thank goodness, Yusei quietly thought, not wanting to go through that particular flying experience again. "We'll never make it back on time on foot," Yusei said. "How are we going to help them?"

Aang looked around anxiously as though the answer might appear out of thin air. Apparently, it did, because a moment later, Aang was grinning mischievously.

"Oh, no," Yusei groaned, following his friend's gaze. Just a little ways away, in the direction Aang was looking, he could see a small group of penguins waddling around.

"Yusei," Aang spoke, "have you ever been penguin sledding?"

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

Sorry it took so long to get this up, folks! I've been busy with college stuff XP but I have almost all of this episode typed up, so the rest of it should be posted soon!

On another note, a few of you may be questioning Jeong-Jeong's appearance in the story. I'm having this set before Jeong-Jeong deserted the Fire Nation. I'll mention his deserting the Fire Nation in the future as well, so I'm not changing that part of the plot or anything.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed!

_**REVIEW, PLEASE!**_


	7. The Avatar Returns Part 2

While Prince Zuko was being suited up for the expected battle with the warriors of the South Pole, General Iroh was helping Elodie make her own preparations in her quarters. He helped check her armor to make sure everything was secure and in place, he strapped her quiver and sword to her back (she was much more comfortable with her bow, which she planned to carry in hand, but she agreed that she might need the sword as well), and he even helped braid her hair so it was out of her face.

"How many warriors will be in the South Pole, do you think?" Elodie asked a little nervously. She had been in battles before, but never anything quite like this. She was used to fighting with duel monsters and cards, and using her speed and wit to get her out of sticky situations. Never before had she found herself suiting up for the front lines of a war. She had never even thought of that as a possibility for her life before. She should have expected something like this to happen eventually when she joined Zuko's crew, but the thought of imminent battle was still unnerving.

"It's hard to tell," Iroh replied grimly as he tied off her braid with a red ribbon. "The village didn't seem very large, and I know many Water Tribe men are fighting in Earth Kingdom seas. You may have an easy fight ahead of you."

When Iroh was done, Elodie stood from her seat and turned to look at herself in a nearby looking glass. She barely recognized herself all suited up for a war. More than ever, she wished her friends were with her to fight alongside her. It had been so long since she had had to face a battle alone.

"Are you sure you don't want a helmet?" Iroh asked, sounding much like he did when he was doting on Zuko.

"It would only limit my vision," Elodie replied firmly. "I'll be alright."

"They warriors will see you're a woman and single you out as the weakest. There's a possibility that, if there is an army out there, you'll be the first one they attack."

Elodie smiled almost wickedly at the thought. "If I'm the weakest one in the group, than those warriors won't stand a chance."

Iroh gently took hold of Elodie shoulders and turned her toward him. With the eyes of a worried parent, the general said, "Elodie, I need you to do something for me: while you're out there facing whatever opposition, I want you to stay by Zuko's side and make sure he doesn't do anything rash."

Elodie frowned. "Are you afraid he might be overwhelmed?"

"I'm afraid he might become overzealous and get carried away in his determination to capture the Avatar. I don't want innocent people getting hurt by his hands."

Elodie suddenly felt a cold chill in her stomach. With a nod, she agreed, "I promise, Gen… I promise, Iroh."

"Also," Iroh added, "please be careful yourself. You may have only been with us a week, but I care about your wellbeing."

Elodie's eyes softened and a small smile lit her face at the general's words. "I'll be careful, Iroh. Thank you."

A sudden, slow jolt beneath her feet told Elodie the ship had stopped. They were at the village.

"You'd better hurry," Iroh said, giving Elodie a quick hug. "Be careful out there. Remember your training."

"I will," Elodie affirmed, swallowing her fear and trying to look confident. "Thank you for everything."

With that farewell, Elodie turned and raced out to the bow of the ship, still deep in the hull, where the bowsprit would lower and give them a ramp down into the village. Lieutenant Jee was shouting orders to the four soldiers Zuko had chosen to join him on the siege, and Elodie quickly took her spot at the head of the group, just behind Zuko himself. Elodie hoped Zuko would turn and see her, but he kept his head forward, waiting for the ramp to lower.

The group of soldiers went quiet. Elodie's heart was hammering beneath her breastplate as she tried to regulate her breathing. Impossibly dangerous scenarios were racing through her mind, and she could already feel her hands getting clammy. She gripped her bow more tightly to stop the shaking and stared straight ahead, trying to match Zuko's confident poise and unforgiving attitude.

Suddenly, with a loud, metallic groan, the bowsprit lowered. Elodie blinked in the sudden blinding light reflecting off the ice, cringing slightly from the sound. By the time the bowsprit was completely down, Elodie's eyes had adjusted to the light and she could see a small village with a few clustered igloos and tents. The place was as silent as a morgue. Zuko took the first step, and Elodie quickly followed suit, along with the rest of the soldiers, and started down the ramp.

Elodie took in her surroundings without turning her head, keeping her shoulders back and her stance confident as her eyes moved back and forth. The village was actually pretty sad-looking, just a mere shadow of what Elodie had expected from the Southern Water Tribe. In the center of the village, a small group of older women and young children huddled together, faces full of fear. Elodie frowned as she took in the scene. Where were the warriors? Were they hiding somewhere, preparing to ambush them? Wouldn't the women and children have been hidden away to keep them safe, or where the Water Tribe warriors cruel enough to use them as bait? Where was their opposition?

That was when she saw him. One lone warrior, a boy no older than sixteen dressed in blue firs and wolf-like face paint, clutching a club and down on one knee in between the villagers and the ship. He stared up at the approaching soldiers, trying hard not to show fear.

The sight of the army of one almost made Elodie stop. _This_ was all the Southern Water Tribe had for an army?

Suddenly, the boy got to his feet and charged up the ramp, club raised over his head, shouting out a rather high-pitched war cry. Zuko barely even flinched, easily kicking the club out of the warrior's hands before kicking the boy himself out of the way. Elodie watched as the boy fell from the ramp and head first into the snow, his legs almost comically thrashing around above his submerged upper body.

_Was that really necessary?_ Elodie wondered, giving the back of Zuko's helmet a reproachful look.

Zuko, Elodie, and the other soldiers halted their march a few yards away from the women and children of the village. Casting her eyes over the small crowd, Elodie spotted one girl in the front that seemed to be just slightly younger than the boy, with her hair in a long braid and two strands looped around her ears. The girl's eyes met hers, and Elodie couldn't miss the surprise that flickered in her fear. Elodie thought she should try to look ferocious, but she couldn't bring herself up to it. She just gazed back at the girl in confusion and uncertainty.

Zuko suddenly stepped forward, his own eyes scanning the terrified villagers. Unable to find what he was looking for, he spoke for the first time since leaving the ship: "Where are you hiding him?"

None of the villagers responded. Elodie saw a couple of them exchange confused looks with one another. Zuko, getting frustrated, suddenly thrust his hand out toward the girl. The girl cringed back, and Elodie thought for a moment the prince was about to grab her, but he grabbed the collar of an elderly woman next to her instead. The girl gasped and reached out, obviously worried for the woman, but she was powerless to stop Zuko.

"He'd be about this age?" Zuko emphasized, giving the frightened woman a small shake. "Master of all elements?"

There was still no response. Getting angrier than ever, Zuko threw the woman roughly back into the crowd, and she fell into the arms of the girl with the hair loops.

"Zuko," Elodie spoke, deciding to act on her promise to Iroh and intervene, "I don't think they know what you're talking about. Maybe we could negotiate something-"

"There will be no negotiating!" Zuko cried, swinging his fist out and sending a wave of fire over the heads of the villagers. Many of them screamed and cowered in fear. "I know you're hiding him!"

There was a sudden cry from behind the group of Fire Nation soldiers, and both Elodie and Zuko whirled around to see the teen warrior back on his feet, weapon in hand and most of his face paint gone, charge toward them again. Instinctively, Elodie stepped forward to face him, crouching down beneath him and flipping him over her head. The boy hit the snow and rolled forward, glancing up at Elodie in apparent shock and anger. Zuko chose that moment to shoot a ball of fire his way, and with a cry the boy rolled backwards to avoid the flame, reaching behind him and pulling a metal, crooked weapon that Elodie recognized as a boomerang from a sheath on his back. The boy threw the boomerang toward Zuko, who just barely dodged it before glaring down at the warrior. Elodie had to give the boy credit for his courage.

"Show no fear!" a little boy in the crowd suddenly yelled, throwing a wooden spear toward the warrior, who caught it with a small, determined smile. The boy got back to his feet and proceeded to yet again charge Zuko, yelling at the top of his lungs, but the prince swiftly broke the end of the spear off with his forearm and yanked the remaining rod out of the boy's hands. The boy stopped his advance, apparently dumbfounded, and Zuko bonked the boy's forehead three times with the blunt end of the spear. The defeated warrior promptly feel back on his rear, rubbing his head reproachfully as Zuko snapped the spear into pieces and tossed them aside.

The short-lived battle appeared to have been won, but Elodie suddenly remembered the boy's boomerang. What had become of-

CLANG!

Zuko cried out as the boomerang suddenly flew out of nowhere and collided with the back of his helmet, nearly knocking it right off of his head. Smiling triumphantly, the boy grabbed the boomerang out of midair.

Zuko, however, was much less pleased. He growled furiously at the young warrior, blades of fire shooting from his fists.

"Zuko, stop!" Elodie demanded, reaching out and grabbing the prince's arm. "We don't have to do this!"

The warrior's eyes, along with most of the villagers', widened in shock. Zuko turned an angry, incredulous face to Elodie, ripping his arm out of her grip. "Stay out of this, Elodie! I wouldn't expect you to understand the demands of war, but I do expect you to know your place and stay in it!"

"Elodie?"

Both Elodie and Zuko looked up to see the older water tribe girl, who, it was now apparent, must have been the warrior's younger sister, kneeling at boomerang boy's side. She was staring at Elodie in frightened comprehension as she continued, "Aren't you one of Yusei's friends?"

Elodie's blood froze as her friend's name left the girl's tongue. "Yusei?" Zuko demanded, looking almost jealously at Elodie. "Who's Yusei? What is she talking about?"

But Elodie ignored the prince, pushing him aside and stepping toward the girl. The girl stepped away, apparently still afraid, and the boy in front of her tensed defensively. Elodie stopped, trying to show that she wasn't a threat. "Yes, I know Yusei," Elodie told her in a shaking voice. "But how do you-"

Before Elodie could finish the question, a black, white and blue blur zoomed by just in front of her. She stepped back out of the way with a cry, but Zuko was much less lucky as a second blur, this one with orange instead of blue, slid right beneath his feet, sweeping his legs out from beneath him. Zuko flew back, his helmet actually coming off this time, and landing face-first in the snow with his rear sticking up in the air, the helmet landing right on his rump.

Elodie whirled around as the two blurs, now clearly two boys each sitting on a four-flippered penguin, came to a halt in front of the villagers. One boy was clearly from the water tribe, as dressed in the same blue overcoat that the others were wearing, but the second was more of a mystery, dressed in a jester-like yellow and orange outfit, his head completely bald and tattooed with a blue arrow, which extended down the back of his neck and, as Elodie guessed by the arrows also on the backs of his hands, over all of his limbs. He also carried a strange wooden rod in one hand. All the younger kids were cheering for the strange bald boy, even after his penguin sprayed them with snow. As his penguin came to a halt, the creature stood up, throwing the boy off his back and waddling away as though nothing had happened. The boy, now sitting in the snow, turned back to the Water Tribe teenagers with a goofy smile.

"Hey Katara! Hey Sokka!"

"Hi, Aang," the warrior boy said almost sheepishly, raising a hand in greeting. "Thanks for comin'."

Just then, the second boy on his penguin came to a halt. He was much taller and obviously older than the bald one, and all Elodie could see of him was the back of his black, crab-like hairstyle with yellow highlights as he jumped off the penguin's back and ran to the two siblings.

"Are you guys alright?" the boy asked them in a very familiar baritone voice. "We tried to get here to warn you, but-"

_"Yusei?"_ Elodie cried in a strangled, emotion-wracked voice.

Yusei felt his body tense at the sound of her voice. He looked up at Katara, whose own eyes were wide in shock. She nodded once to confirm what she believed was true, and Yusei whirled around to face Elodie. Cerulean eyes met hazel ones for the first time since the time machine accident, and both teens felt equal parts exultation and horror at seeing one another on such opposite sides.

"Oh, my gosh!" Elodie gasped, her eyes filling with tears. "Yusei, it _is _you!"

_"Elodie?"_ Yusei rasped. "You're alive! But… why are you with the Fire Nation?"

"Why are you with the Water Tribe?" Elodie countered, visibly shaking as the situation threatened to overwhelm her. "I don't understand-"

"Enough!" a voice suddenly cut in, and all the teens turned to see Zuko get to his feet and get into a fighting stance. "Men, get the boy!"

The bald boy, Aang, silently stepped forward with his staff in hand, and the remaining soldiers quietly lined up behind their leader. They moved forward to attack, but Aang whipped down his staff on either side of him, blasting the soldiers, including Elodie, back with two strong gusts of wind. Elodie fell back with a cry, heard Yusei call out her name, and rolled back up to her feet just in time to see Aang raise his staff over his head and bring it down in front of him, sending a gust of wind toward the prince, who barely managed to stand his ground.

"Looking for me?" Aang asked in a very serious voice.

"Holy Slifer Dragon," Elodie murmured as understanding dawned on her. "_He_ can't be…"

"_You're_ the airbender?" Zuko stated incredulously, melting the snow that had been blown onto his armor as Aang took a defensive stance. "_You're_ the _Avatar?"_

Elodie got to her feet and looked toward Yusei for help, but he and his two friends appeared to be just as shocked.

"What?" Yusei gasped

"Aang?" Katara spoke his name as a question, staring at the airbender.

"No way," Sokka muttered.

Everyone watched in shocked silence as the Avatar and the Fire Prince began to circle one another, each searching for an opening to begin the battle. "I've spent _years_ preparing for this encounter," Zuko spoke. "Training. Meditating. You're just a _child_!"

Aang stopped and cocked his head at the angsty firebender. "Well, _you're_ just a _teenager_!"

That was when Zuko went on the offensive. He shot several fire blasts at the airbender, who cried out and spun in staff like a baton in his hands, dispersing the flames before they could reach him. This helicopter-blade technique didn't stop the fire from reaching the villagers, however, and they all cried out and ducked beneath the flames.

"Zuko, _stop!_" Elodie suddenly screamed, yanking a blunt-tipped arrow from her quiver, drawing it on her bow, and shooting it at the boy she had considered her friend. The arrow zinged past his face, causing the prince to stumbled back and almost fall into the snow.

"Elodie!" the prince roared in fury. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why are _you_ doing this, Zuko?" Elodie demanded. "This isn't right! You told me the Avatar was the enemy keeping the Fire Nation from bringing peace to the world! But _you're_ attacking an innocent village just to get what you want!_ You're_ the one they all fear! And the Avatar? He's just a _boy!_ It's clear to me that _he's_ the one fighting for a just cause, not you!"

"You traitor!" Zuko shouted, his fire daggers appearing in his hands again as his scarred face twisted in hideous rage. "You'll regret turning against me!"

"Wait!" Aang cried, running to stand between Elodie and Zuko. Thrusting his staff out in surrender, he said, "If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?"

"No, Aang!" Yusei exclaimed, but the proposition had already been made. A tense silence followed the boy's question, and then Zuko put out his daggers, straightened, and nodded stiffly. The four soldiers came forward, two behind Aang and two behind Elodie, and they began pushing their two prisoners forward toward the ramp on the bowsprit.

"What-hey, let me go!" Elodie cried, trying to get away from the soldiers as they grabbed her upper arms. _"Zuko!"_

"You're a traitor to the Fire Nation and now a prisoner of war," Zuko told her in a steely voice as he led the party back up the ramp. "And you will be treated as such!"

"Elodie!" Yusei cried, moving to run after his friend, but Sokka reached out and stopped him.

"No, man," he said solemnly. "We don't have a chance against them. Not now."

Katara gasped and ran forward, after the retreating soldiers. "No, Aang!" she cried. "Don't do this!"

"Don't worry, Katara, it'll be okay," Aang shouted back as his captors pushed him roughly up the bowsprit. "Take care of Appa for me until I get back!"

"Head a course to the Fire Nation!" Zuko commanded. "I'm going home."

_"Yusei!"_ Elodie cried desperately, still trying to fight against the soldiers holding her.

"We'll find you again, Elodie!" Yusei shouted back. "I promise we'll free you!"

Then he, Katara, Sokka, and the rest of the village watched in despair as the bowsprit closed back up with Elodie and the Avatar trapped inside.

* * *

Yup. Crap is goin' down. What did you guys think of the reunion? How about Zuko's reaction? Should Aang have protected Elodie? How will Katara and Sokka react to Yusei's friend being on the Fire Nation's side? Please let me know your thoughts!

_**REVIEWS PLEASE!**_


	8. The Avatar Returns Part 3

No one in the Southern Water Tribe had known such a long night as the one they endured after the Avatar's capture. Yusei tossed and turned in his sleeping bag, Elodie's joyous, terrified face swimming in his mind. He had imagined what it would be like to see his friends again this whole week, but never had he pictured the scenario in which one of his friends joined the opposing side of the war.

But had Elodie really joined the opposing side? It had seemed so at the beginning, but as the fight when on, she must have realized her mistake and turned against the scarred firebender – Zuko, she had called him. She must have realized he had deceived her. Yusei could tell by how confused, hurt, and angry she had acted that she had felt betrayed, but Zuko had seemed to feel the same when she turned against him. What was the story between those two? How had Elodie met the firebenders in the first place? How could they have deceived her, since her psychic abilities usually warned her of such lies? Would any of their other friends be in similar situations?

But there was one question that pressed on Yusei's mind the most: What was Zuko was going to do to Elodie, along with Aang, now that they were his prisoners?

On top of everything else, Yusei felt a definite shock that Aang was the Avatar. It made a slim sort of sense, since he was frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years and was an airbender, but Yusei still struggled with believing that such a goofy, carefree little kid could be the most powerful bender in the world. It just wasn't conceivable.

This struggle, along with dealing with Elodie's discovery and capture, kept Yusei wide awake until he completely gave up on the thought of sleep. Being careful not to wake Katara, Sokka, and Gran-Gran, all of whom were sleeping restlessly nearby, he climbed out of his sleeping back, pulled on his overcoat, and left the ice hut.

Little did he know Sokka and Katara were already awake.

Katara sat up slightly and watched Yusei leave, her eyes full of anxiety. Sokka sat up as well, but his expression was less forgiving.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Katara," the young warrior muttered.

"Same here," Katara replied. "How could one of Yusei's friends be Fire Nation? I just don't understand…"

"And what does that say about him?" Sokka asked, nodding accusingly at the doorway. "Katara, what if he knew all along she was Fire Nation?"

"I don't think he did, Sokka. I mean, did you see the way they looked at each other? I've never seen anyone so terrified… or joyful. They were happy to see each other alive, but they were on opposing sides."

"But what about the girl?" Sokka pressed. "Emily or whatever her name was-"

"Elodie."

"Whatever! She obviously can't be trusted. Who's to say Yusei can be too?"

"Sokka, how could you say that?" Katara demanded, fighting to keep her voice down. "He saved your life last week! Or have you forgotten the Polar Leopard-Bear incident? As for Elodie, I'm not sure what to think of her. When she saw the village, she seemed really confused and worried. Then she tried to stop that firebender boy from attacking us. She shot an arrow at his head!"

"She also attacked me!" Sokka shot back, pointing at himself. "She flipped me over her head!"

"Oh, please, Sokka, I think your pride was hurt more than anything else."

Sokka grumbled irritably and slumped back into his sleeping bag. "I don't know what the Fire Nation is thinking, hiring girls to fight their battles for them."

"She did flip you over her head."

"Just go to sleep, Katara," Sokka snapped irritably. "We'll talk more about this in the morning."

* * *

As Yusei walked through the village, he thought it looked even smaller with the giant gap in the wall from Zuko's battleship cutting through the ice, and Sokka's watchtower, along with a few tents, were still down. Wanting nothing more than to get away from the depressing sight, Yusei grabbed a still-burning log from a nearby fire and headed out of the village to the shoreline, near which floated Sokka's last canoe. Yusei toyed with the idea of taking the canoe and going after Elodie and Aang himself, but he quickly abandoned the idea, knowing full well that 1) he did not quite have the skill to steer the little boat through iceberg-ridden waters by himself, and 2) he had no way of knowing where Zuko's ship might be heading. With a sigh, he contented himself with sitting at the edge of the ice, his arms wrapped around his knees, and staring out toward the dark horizon.

He stayed there, lost in dismal thoughts and worries, until the sun had risen well over the icy sea. The only thing that brought him out of his reverie was the sound of footsteps behind him. Turning, Yusei saw Katara approaching him, Sokka following close behind with a bundle of supplies in his hands.

"Are you alright?" Katara asked, resting a hand on Yusei's shoulder. Sokka continued past them, and Sokka didn't even bother looking to see what he was doing.

"No," Yusei replied with a sigh, not even bothering to lie. "You?"

Katara shook her head, her eyes pained. "Me neither. I don't understand why Aang never told us he was the Avatar. And how did your friend end up with that firebender boy?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Katara," Yusei replied with a deep frown. "Elodie usually has… really good intuition with other people, so I can't imagine she joined him knowing what he was going to do. My best guess is that Zuko found her after the ship wrecked and tricked her into working for him."

Yusei felt her hand tighten on his shoulder and, looking up, saw Katara staring out toward the horizon, just as he was only moments ago, with a lost, worried look in her eyes. "We have to go after that ship, Sokka," she said suddenly. "Aang and Elodie saved our tribe; now we have to save them."

Behind them, Sokka began to speak, "Katara, I—"

"Why can't you realize that they're on our side?" Katara cried, breaking off what was surely to be an argument from, her brother. "If we don't help them, no one will! I know you don't like Aang, and I know we don't know Elodie and she tripped you yesterday, but we owe them both and I—

"Katara!" Sokka cut in, making both his sister and Yusei turn around. Gesturing to the now-loaded canoe, he added, "Are you gonna talk all day, or are you both comin' with me?"

Yusei managed to smile as Katara gasped. "Sokka!" she cried, running forward and giving her brother a hug. Yusei got to his feet as well and clapped Sokka on the shoulder.

"Thanks, man," Yusei told his friend.

"No problem, Yus'," Sokka replied. "I remember you telling me that Elodie girl was like a sister to you. If it were my sister, I would want me to do the same thing. Now, get in, you two. We're gonna save Elodie and Katara's boyfriend."

Katara glared at her brother. "He's not my-"

"Whatever," Sokka interrupted, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

* * *

Aang wasn't sure what to make of his current situation.

He was standing on the deck of Prince Zuko's battleship, his hands tied behind his back, next to the Yusei's friend, who was also bound with ropes around her wrists and arms. Aang wasn't sure to be more afraid of the Prince or the girl. Elodie had a crazed look in her eyes, equal parts fury and pain with touches of betrayal and fear, and she was trembling all over. The only reason he had protected her back at the village was because Yusei seemed to be worried about her. He had no idea what her story was with Yusei, Zuko, or anything else that was going on, but he found that he pitied her for the obviously tortured state she was in.

Zuko, however, not even Aang could find any good feelings for. For one, the prince had captured Elodie and himself _and _threatened the defenseless Water Tribe village. Secondly, he had apprehended Aang's prize possession: his staff.

"This staff will make an excellent gift for my father," the prince said, holding the staff out in front of him. Looking down at Aang, he added, "I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks."

Aang glowered at the prince, but didn't bother with retorting. He wasn't one to take things too personally. He was sure he should be more worried about his current situation, but he only found himself mildly interested. He wasn't worried about escaping at all. If Katara was right about the length of his absence from the world, then these firebenders probably weren't used to fighting an airbender. But what about Elodie? He had already decided that he couldn't leave her behind, for Yusei's sake if not her own.

"I see why you want to go home so bad now, Zuko," Elodie now snapped viciously, the words flying off her tongue and hate shooting from her eyes like venom. "You want to prove to your dear daddy that you can be just as horrible and wicked as he must be to start a war like this! Like father like son, as they always say."

"Shut your mouth, traitor!" Zuko growled in equal fury. "You know nothing of this war or my father, though I'm sure that'll change once you're brought before him to be charged for treason! Men, take Elodie and the Avatar to the prison hold. And," he added, shoving Aang's staff toward the old man standing at his side, "take this to my quarters."

Iroh took the staff as Zuko stalked off without another word. Aang had no idea what the old man's relationship to Zuko was, but as the two guards shoved him and Elodie toward the stairs that lead down into the ship, the airbender noticed the old man's eyes training on him and Elodie in a sad, regretful manner. Looking around, Aang noticed Elodie firmly avoiding the man's eyes, and soon the man looked away, handing Aang's staff to a nearby soldier and asking him to take it down to Zuko's quarters for him.

There was a thick silence inside the ship only cut off by the chugging engine as Aang and Elodie were lead down a long hallway to the prison hold. Aang was never comfortable with silence, so he decided to try and ease some tension.

"So... I guess you never fought an airbender before. I bet I can take you both with my hands tied behind my back!"

"Silence!" the guard ahead of him snapped.

Elodie took her eyes off the ground long enough to give the back of the Avatar's head a puzzled look. Part of her felt ashamed; here she was, falling apart at the seams, and a twelve year old boy was cracking jokes like this situation was nothing more than a setback.

Then again, he hadn't just discovered he was on the wrong side of the real first World War. Neither had he just been betrayed by someone who was supposedly a friend. Elodie decided to give herself a little slack.

She was still having trouble seeing the Avatar as a real being. She had heard so much about him the past week; she had come to know him only as a legend. It was like she was meeting a celebrity, except without the fame and fortune. She hadn't thought about what it would be like when she finally came face-to-face with him. This boy, this airbender, was somehow responsible for saving the world and the key to finding her friends. She felt ashamed of herself for thinking it, since she herself had long been a victim of underestimation, but she was finding it hard to believe that this goofy twelve year old held the fate of the entire world in his currently bound hands.

The guards stopped them outside a locked door at the end of the hallway. Elodie once again turned her eyes downward, prepared to submit to whatever would await them in the prison hold, but as she did, she noticed the Avatar doing something strange with his fingers. He was flicking his middle and index fingers back and forth, making the motion of someone walking. With his other hand, he was pointing to the right.

Elodie read the message clear: _Step to the right._

The guard in front of just inserting his key into the lock. As he did, the Avatar suddenly sucked in a deep breath, and Elodie, immediately understanding, quickly stepped out of the way. With a sudden, loud blow, the airbender shoved the guard in front of him smack into the door and threw himself into the one behind him, simultaneously knocking them both out at once. Elodie gasped in surprise as the wind pulled at her as well, but she managed to stay upright.

"C'mon, Elodie!" the Avatar suddenly called. "We're bustin' outta here!"

Maybe this boy being the Avatar wasn't so hard to believe after all.

Elodie ran back toward Aang and followed him up the steps and onto the deck. "I need my staff!" Aang exclaimed, wildly looking around the deck. Seeing the door at the other end of the deck, he twirled around and kicked out. A gust of wind soared across the deck and hit the door, throwing it open. Elodie, still slightly dazed at what was happening, followed the airbender through the door and into the ship.

* * *

"Go. Fly. Soar."

For once, Yusei completely agreed with Sokka's sarcasm. He was beginning to wonder if opting to take Aang's sky bison over Sokka's canoe was really the best idea. They were moving no faster than they would have in the boat; for all Yusei knew, Elodie and Aang could already be in the Fire Nation.

"Please, Appa," Katara pleaded with the sky bison as she sat in Aang's usual spot on the bison's head. "We need your help! Aang needs your help!"

"Up," Sokka continued unhelpfully. "Ascend. Elevate."

Katara glared back at her brother once before leaning forward and patting Appa's head. "Sokka doesn't believe you can fly," she said coaxingly. "But I do, Appa. Come on, don't you wanna save Aang?"

The only response she received was a low grumble from the sky bison.

"Maybe he needs a specific command word or phrase?" Yusei suggested anxiously.

"What was it that kid said?" Sokka asked in a bored voice. "Yee-ha? Hup-hup? Wahoo? Uh... yip-yip?"

Suddenly, Appa gave another low rumble, this one full of more conviction and purpose. His tail suddenly rose above the sea before smacking back down on the waves. Yusei gasped as he felt the bison gain momentum, hopping like a rock over the water. Before the Water Tribe trio knew what was happening, they found themselves soaring through the air on the bison's back, high above the towering icebergs below.

"You did it, Sokka!" Katara exclaimed with an excited laugh.

"I don't believe it!" Yusei cried, clinging onto the saddle and staring down at the water in shock.

"He's flying!" Sokka was shouting. "_He's flying!_ Yusei, Katara, he's—!" Sokka looked up to see both Yusei and Katara smirking at him and quickly changed his tone. "I mean… big deal, he's flying."

* * *

Elodie had always prided herself on being a fast runner. But this little airbender was making her look as quick as a turtle. She was huffing and puffing trying to catch up with him with her arms and hands tied down. But that wasn't what struck Elodie the most.

The most shocking part was that the Avatar, whom moments earlier she was planning on helping to capture, was actually waiting up for her.

"Come on, Elodie! We have to hurry!" he urged, stopping at a corner and waiting for her to catch up.

Finally, Elodie couldn't take it anymore. "Why are you waiting for me?" she asked the Avatar. "Why are you helping me at all? You could easily leave me behind and escape yourself."

Aang seemed to consider that for a moment as though the thought hadn't occurred to him. "You're right, I guess I could. Oh well, I'll remember that next time."

Elodie gaped at him. "Less than an hour ago, I had full intentions of helping Zuko capture you."

"But you don't anymore, do you?"

For some reason, the question came as a shock to the former soldier. "Of course not."

"Then let's get going!" Aang cried, turning again and racing around the corner. Elodie followed him only to nearly run into him; he had been stopped by the three guards barring his way.

Aang said, "You haven't seen my staff around, have you?"

The guards held up their swords, and Elodie instantly sprang forward. With a quick kick to his sword hand and a knee to his gut, the first guard was down. As Elodie swung her leg up and kicked down another guard, Aang used his airbending to run corkscrews up and around the guards, using walls and ceiling as well as the floor. The last of the guards slashed down with his sword, and Elodie turned around and held her wrists up so the blade sliced through the ropes binding her hands. With a grunt, she threw her head back and smacked it into the guard's face, knocking him backwards.

"Thanks anyway!" Aang called back to the guards.

Elodie, hands now free but arms still pinned to her body, awkwardly bent down to get one of the fallen guard's swords before hurrying after the Avatar. She found him waiting for her at the top of a ladder going further down into the ship, and the moment she caught up, he smiled and jumped down. Elodie quickly followed, and when she looked up and down the hallway, she found one of Zuko's soldiers staring them down.

"Careful!" Elodie warned. "Those guards can firebend!"

"Duck!" Aang yelled, sprinting forward just as the guard blasted a ball of fire there way. As she threw herself down to the ground out of harm's way, cursing herself for thinking firebending could be cool, she saw Aang launch himself over the fire blast and flip over the guard's head, using the soldier's helmet spike to cut the ropes still on his wrists.

"C'mon!" Aang cried, and Elodie clambered clumsily to her feet. The guard made to get up, but Elodie smacked his head with butt of her sword as she passed and he crumbled.

"Over here," Aang said when Elodie caught up to him, surprising her by grabbing her free hand and pulling her into a hidden nook. Turning Elodie's back to him, Aang began working on untying the rest of her bonds.

"Zuko must think you're pretty special," Aang remarked. "He made sure you were tied up good."

Elodie swallowed back the hurt feelings that arose at the sound of Zuko's name and looked back at Aang. "Avatar Aang, I am very sorry I helped Zuko try to capture you. I truly thought he was one of the good guys…"

"I can see how you'd make that mistake," Aang replied as he successfully loosened the ropes. "He seems like a great guy."

Elodie turned to face the Avatar, and she found that he was smiling cheekily. "By the way," he added, "you can just call me Aang."

Elodie smiled and nodded. "Alright then, Aang. Let's get your staff and get out of here."


	9. The Avatar Returns Part 4

"Who is that old man again?" Aang asked Elodie as they ran away from Iroh's quarters, which Aang had accidentally almost entered.

"His name is Iroh," Elodie replied a little sadly. "He's a retired Fire Nation general and Zuko's uncle."

Aang noticed the sad, hurt tone in Elodie's voice and wondered again what connection she had to these people. He decided not to worry about it, however, as they turned another corner and passed another open door –

Aang skidded to a halt and turned back to the open door. Inside, leaning against a table, he could see his staff.

"My staff!" he exclaimed, running into the room. Elodie made to follow, but she stopped in her tracks, remembering too late where Zuko had ordered the staff to be kept.

"Aang, wait!" she cried. "It's a tra-!"

The door slammed shut in her face.

* * *

"Where's the ship?" Yusei asked for what must have been the tenth time.

"We know the Fire Nation is to the northwest," Katara said. "So we'll keep heading in that direction until we find it." She turned back to look at Yusei. "Don't worry, Yusei. Aang's a clever boy, and Elodie seemed pretty tough. I'm sure they'll be fine until we find them."

Yusei sat back against the saddle, still not reassured. It was true, what Katara said, but that didn't make him any less worried.

"Are you worried about Elodie?" Sokka asked, sitting next to Yusei.

"Very," Yusei replied. "I mean, I'm worried about Aang just as much, but... I wasn't even sure if Elodie was _alive_ twelve hours ago, and when I finally find her, she's in Fire Nation armor. I'm just afraid of what Zuko did to make her join him, and even more afraid of what he might do now that she's turned against him."

Sokka bit his lip. "I understand that you're worried, but, Yusei… what if she wasn't forced to join the Fire Nation?"

"What are you talking about?" Yusei demanded, turning in shock to his Water Tribe friend. "She wouldn't have joined willingly if she knew what they were really about to do! Zuko deceived her somehow, you heard how she was yelling at him yesterday!"

"I'm just trying to warn you about what might happen, Yus'," Sokka pressed. "War is a messy business. I've seen how it tears friends and family members apart. I just want you to prepare yourself so you don't get hurt."

Yusei turned away, angry starting to burn through his veins. "You don't know Elodie the way I do. Just because you don't know her doesn't make her an enemy, Sokka."

"Except that we just _saw her_ in _Fire Nation_ armor! Face it, Yusei: there is a chance that your friend has joined the wrong side!"

"Oh, you mean just like there was a chance Aang and I were working for the Fire Navy?"

"Exactly!"

"Maybe we should hear the story from Elodie herself," Katara spoke up before Yusei could argue back. "I'm inclined to agree with Yusei, but I can see Sokka's point."

"She and Aang saved the tribe yesterday!" Yusei cried. "She shot at Zuko's head with an arrow!"

"It was only blunt-tipped, wasn't it?" Sokka pointed out.

"Sokka!" Katara exclaimed, her own tone starting to get angry. "You're not helping! And Yusei, I'm not disagreeing with you, but arguing about it now won't get us anywhere. We won't know for sure until we find the ship."

Yusei growled and turned away from both of his friends, leaning over the edge of Appa's saddle. The icy wind felt nice against his heated face. He hated to think that Elodie, or any of his other friends for that matter, had joined the Fire Nation's cause, but he did see Sokka and Katara's points. He thought about Crow, who was also inclined to get himself into trouble; Jack, always hungry for power; Akiza, who had once walked a darker side of life herself; even Bruno had been one of the chief leaders of Yliaster, until he met Yusei and the others and found his true place. In fact, Bruno had nearly gotten himself killed to give Yusei the tools to defeat Z-one; Yusei had just barely managed to pull his friend out of that black hole after their duel…

But then Yusei remembered how each of his friends had changed their ways. Though Crow had a few run-ins with Sector Security, he always promoted the common good. Jack had managed to turn himself around during the Dark Signer war. Akiza got in control of her psychic powers and freed herself from Sayer's grip. Bruno was always striving to protect both his friends in team 5Ds and his friends in Yliaster. Even Yusei himself had had to change after his first duel in New Domino City with Jack. They were all experienced with battles between good and evil, both inward and outward. Yusei was confident that they would all recognize which side needed to be fought for.

At least that's what he hoped.

"Look! Down there!"

Sokka's cry broke Yusei out of his fretful thoughts. Shaking his head clear and sitting up, Yusei followed Sokka's pointed finger and spotted a small trail of smoke up ahead, and beneath that trail, a black shape was moving swiftly over the waves and through the icebergs below.

"That's gotta be it!" Katara exclaimed. "Appa, yip-yip!"

The bison gave a low roar and dove downward, heading toward the ship.

* * *

"_Aang!_" Elodie exclaimed, pounding on the door. "Let him go, Zuko! Open the door!"

Of course, the door didn't open. _Stupid, arrogant, stubborn, hot-headed, self-centered prince!_ Elodie cursed him in her mind as she shoved her stolen sword into her belt, fumbled for the wheel and tried to turn it. The wheel was jammed. She thought she heard shouting and the undoubtable sounds of wind and fire on the other side of the door. Refusing to give up, she yanked harder on the wheel, grunting under the stain on her arms. It gave a little, but not enough to open the door…

A sudden roar behind her caused Elodie to turn and duck out of the way. She summersaulted across the hall and rolled back to her feet just as a fire ball the size of her head exploded against the metal door. Turning, Elodie found herself facing two of her fellow soldiers.

"Elodie, stop!" one of the guards shouted as Elodie drew her sword. "Don't make this worse for yourself!"

"Believe me," Elodie snarled, getting into a fighting stance. "Things couldn't get any worse."

She lunged. The soldier fired another ball of fire, but she ducked out of the way continued her attack, slashing her sword against the unarmored part of his arm. The soldier cried out as the blade cut into his arm, not severely injuring him but hurting enough to keep his from using that arm. With a loud, angry grunt, Elodie swung around, just barely avoiding a fire blast from the second soldier, and threw her elbow back into his stomach. His armor protected the soldier from the worst of the blow, but he still staggered back and lost his balance. Elodie kicked back and hit the soldier in the chest, throwing him back into his companion, who was getting ready to strike. Both soldiers fell back down the hall and clattered to the ground, groaning and moaning.

Before the soldiers could recover themselves, Elodie ran back to Zuko's door and tried to open it again. The first fire blast must have unjammed the door, because Elodie had a much easier time forcing the wheel to turn and opening the door.

"Aang!" she cried, taking in the scene with alarm. The walls were scorched, the tapestries were ripped, and many of Zuko's possessions were scattered across the floor. Aang had just managed to grab his staff and was turning to face Zuko, who was wrapped like a mummy in a Fire Nation banner. With a furious roar, Zuko broke out of the wrapping in a burst of flame. If the situation was different, Elodie might have laughed at the expression on Aang's face, but instead she chose to raise her sword and advance into the room, moving to Aang's side without taking her eyes from Zuko.

As it turned out, Elodie's assistance wasn't need it. With a flick of his staff, Aang created a current of air beneath Zuko's mattress and sent it hurtling into Zuko, who promptly crashed into the wall, squashed by the mattress. The mattress fell back to the ground, and a moment latter, groaning, Zuko fell face down back onto the mattress. Another swipe with his staff, and the mattress flew into the air, Zuko still on it, and smashed into the ceiling. The mattress fell again, but Zuko did not rise.

"Let's go!" Elodie muttered, grabbing Aang's wrist and pulling him out of the room. Looking around, she found the two soldiers she had defeated still lying on the ground, barely starting to stir.

"Where's the observation deck?" Aang asked.

"Down this way-" Elodie began, pointing down the hall, but Aang had already taken hold of her hand and begun pulling her down the hall. After turning a couple of corners without being attacked by soldiers, Aang stopped at a ladder beneath a hatch in the ceiling.

"We can't go through there!" Elodie warned. "That leads to the helm!"

"We have no choice," Aang replied, thrusting his staff into Elodie's hands. Aang raised his arms and began twirling his arms around in circles, sending a funnel of wind up toward the hatch. The wheel began to spin rapidly. One final push of air, and the hatch was open. As Aang leapt up through the hatch, Elodie clambered up the ladder with his staff. She barely registered the shocked faces of before she lunged forward, using Aang's staff as a vaulting stick to propel herself forward and kick the soldiers down.

"Aang, catch!" she cried as she landed on her feet, tossing the staff back to its owner.

"Thanks! Follow me!" Aang replied as he ran out onto the observation deck. The ship was sailing down an ice channel now, with walls of ice rising up on either side. Elodie followed and watched as Aang flicked his staff and wings popped out of slits in the wood. "Hold on to the cross bar on my glider!" Aang called back at her as he held the glider over his head.

"You're can _fly_ with that thing?" Elodie gasped.

"Yep!"

"With me on it? Are you sure you can hold us up?"

"Nope! Grab on!"

As Aang prepared to leap off the edge of the deck, Elodie grabbed hold of the cross bar and braced herself for the imminent crash. To her shock, Aang leaped into the air with impeccable ease and, with Elodie in tow, began ascending into the air, away from the ship…

A sudden, desperate cry cut through the air, making Elodie turn and see Zuko launch himself into the air after them. Elodie could see the distress and fury in the prince's amber eyes as he stretched his hand out and grabbed Elodie's ankle. Elodie cried out as she felt herself being pulled off the glider, and immediately let go so as not to drag Aang down as well. She and Zuko, who was still holding her foot, screamed as they both plummeted back down to the deck.

Aang's eyes widened as he looked down and saw Elodie and Zuko falling. Gritting his teeth, he dove down after them, reaching out and grabbing Elodie's hand. Her weight combined with Zuko's was too much for the young Avatar, and holding on to his glider with only one hand threw him even more off-balance. Aang groaned against the weight, trying desperately to hold them all up, as they hit the main deck. All three teens rolled forward several times before finally coming to a halt.

"Aang, get out of here!" Elodie yelled back to her new airbending friend. "I'll take care of this!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Aang declared, but Elodie had already gotten to her feet and advanced toward Zuko, who quickly stood and shot a blast of fire at his former soldier. Elodie blocked the flame with the armor on her forearms and continued to attack, drawing her sword in the process. Zuko kicked out, shooting more fire from his foot. Elodie twisted around, avoiding the flames and taking a position behind Zuko, and swung downward with her sword, planning on injuring him just as she had with the guard back inside the ship. Zuko saw it coming and raised his armored forearm to block the blow, then swung his leg back and kicked the sword out of her hands. Now weaponless, Elodie rolled forward to avoid another fire blast, and then, still on her hands and feet, swung her leg out in a horizontal arc, trying to trip the prince. Zuko saw the trick and quickly jumped up, but Elodie surprised him by kicking out with her other leg as well, pivoting on her hands, and kicking Zuko in his side as he was still in midair, causing him to grunt and fall sideways, just barely maintaining his balance. Furious, Zuko gave a roar and shot two, simultaneous fire blasts at Elodie, who was just getting back to her feet. Elodie prepared herself to dodge or block the attack, but at that moment, Aang stepped forward and gave a swipe of his staff, dispersing the fire and once again knocking Zuko backwards with a wave of wind. This time the fire prince fell back, rolling once before landing flat on his stomach. Growling furiously, Zuko got up on one knee and glared at his two opponents, who were slowly closing in on him. Zuko stood and prepared to attack again, but something flying from behind an ice cliff ahead caught his eye…

"What _is_ that?" Zuko demanded, staring toward the sky in shock and fear. Elodie and Aang both looked around to see a giant white and brown bison flying toward the ship, three figures visible on its back.

"What in the world…?" Elodie murmured, having never seen Aang's sky bison before.

"Appa!" Aang cried, obviously delighted to see the strange monster.

Elodie turned back to Zuko to see if he knew what this "Appa" thing was and cried, "Aang, look out!"

Aang turned and gasped as he found Zuko's fire blast staring him right in the face. Quickly twirling his staff, he managed to block the attack, but he flew into the air in the process and almost fell off the edge of the deck.

"Aang!" Elodie cried again, running forward to help, but some of Zuko's soldier had finally arrived at the fight and stopped her, a couple of them grabbing her arms and wrestling her to the ground.

"Elodie!" Yusei cried, seeing Elodie getting attacked from Appa's saddle.

"Ya know, I don't think she's on their side anymore," Sokka admitted, rubbing his head guiltily.

"But she and Aang are still in trouble!" Katara exclaimed, watching anxiously as Zuko fired blast after blast at the young Avatar. Aang was trying desperately to hold off the attacks, but he lost his grip on his staff and it was thrown out of his hands. Zuko turned and kicked out once more with his foot, letting out a loud grunt, and the force and heat finally knocked Aang backwards. Katara, Sokka, Yusei, and Elodie all watched in horror as the Avatar fell overboard.

"Aang!" Katara cried hysterically. _"No!"_

"NO!" Elodie roared, renewed fury at Zuko giving her the strength to break out of the soldiers' grasps. She ran at Zuko, not knowing what she was going to do or how she was going to attack, but before she even had the chance, an explosive pain in her head caused her to cry out and collapse onto the deck.

"Elodie!" Zuko cried, forgetting for a moment that she was her enemy now and running to her side. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Elodie only moaned, clutching her head, apparently unaware of what was going on. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she gasped, staring out toward the sea.

At the moment, the surface of the ocean where Aang had fallen began to bubble and froth. Suddenly, Aang burst out of the water, towering over the ship as he stood at the top of a large tornado of water. His eyes and tattoos were glowing bright white, determination and fury alive on his face. Zuko's jaw dropped as he stared up at the Avatar, fear showing in his eyes. Suddenly, Aang dipped down and headed straight for Elodie and Zuko, who staggered away just as the Avatar landed on the deck, standing protectively in front of Elodie. Elodie watched in amazement as Aang bent the maelstrom of water around him, completely surrounding both of them in a whirlpool. The Avatar released the water with an outward thrust of his hands, throwing Zuko and most of his soldiers overboard.

"So _that's_ waterbending," Elodie muttered in a tight, shaky voice.

_"Whoa,"_ Yusei breathed, staring down at the spectacle in shock.

"Did you see what he just did?" Katara cried in obvious amazement.

"Now _that_ was some waterbending!" Sokka agreed.

Back on the deck, Elodie slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position, never taking her eyes from the Avatar. Suddenly, Aang's eyelids closed over his glowing eyes and he fell to his knees, groaning slightly as his tattoos dimmed back down to their usual blue. With a gasp, Elodie just managed to catch Aang before he hit the deck, slowly lowering him onto his back.

"Aang?" she exclaimed. "Can you hear me?"

"Aang!" a girl's voice suddenly cried out, and Elodie looked up to see the flying bison land on the deck and the sister and brother from the Southern Water Tribe, along with Yusei, get off and run toward them.

"Yusei," Elodie breathed, her voice catching as tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's alright, El," Yusei told her, kneeling down next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders as Aang began to stir. "We'll talk about it later."

"Aang, are you okay?" Katara asked, holding Aang up by his arms as he slowly opened his eyes, which were back to their normal gray.

"Hey, Katara," he said in a weary voice. "Hey, Sokka. Yusei. Thanks for coming.

"Well, I couldn't let you have all the glory," Sokka told the little airbender, folding his arms proudly over his chest.

"I dropped my staff," Aang muttered, looking in the direction where his staff had fallen.

"Got it!" Sokka declared, getting up and running to retrieve the staff.

"Katara," Elodie suddenly spoke as the Water Tribe girl helped Aang get to his feet. "I never did apologize to you and your brother for attacking your village. If I had known better, if I had known what Zuko was really up to, I-"

"It's okay, Elodie," Katara quickly hushed, smiling sweetly at the former soldier. "Don't worry about it."

All four of the teens turned at the sound of Sokka's gasp. He was still trying to get Aang's staff, which had landed at the edge of the deck, but Zuko was holding fast to it, trying to climb back up to the deck. Sokka hit the prince on the forehead with the end of the staff three times, just as Zuko had done to him back at the village, and the prince released his hold on the staff and fell back toward the ocean.

"Ha!" Sokka cried triumphantly before returning to his sister and friends. "That's from the Water Tribe!"

"We've gotta hurry," Yusei urged, helping Elodie get to her feet. He and Katara both helped her and Aang get on Appa, Aang at the reins and Elodie in the saddle, and the bison got up and shook of the water from the deck. A few of Zuko's soldiers that hadn't fallen off the ship were starting to get up, grasping their spears and advancing toward the escapees. Katara, who was still on the ground, waved her arms and picked up a stream of water on the deck, and the guards stopped, gasping in shock. She pulled her arms back and tried to whip the water at the guards, but instead the water travelled back in a sheet of ice, also managing to freeze Sokka's feet as he ran to get on Appa.

"Katara!" Sokka yelled in exasperation.

Katara bit her lip apologetically as the soldiers continued to advance. Thinking fast, Katara turned around and tried the same move again, this time managing to freeze the soldiers mere feet behind her in a thin sheet of ice.

"Katara, get on!" Yusei urged, reaching down to help her into the saddle.

"Hurry up, Sokka!" she called back to her brother, who was chipping at the ice around his feet with his boomerang.

"I'm just a guy with a boomerang," Sokka growled angrily under his breath as he managed to free his feet. "I didn't ask for all this flying and magic…" Once free, Sokka ran up the bison tail and climbed into the saddle, crying, "Yip-yip! Yip-yip!"

Appa gave a loud rumbled, and Elodie gasped and clutched Yusei's arm and the side of the saddle as the bison took off, ascending into the air at a surprisingly fast pace. Elodie looked back down at the ship, which was becoming steadily smaller, just in time to see Iroh cross the deck and help his nephew up. The two stood side by side on the deck and together shot a large ball of fire toward them

"Fireball!" Elodie cried out as the other three teens looked back in horror, but Aang, looking determined, jumped back with the tail end of his glider sticking out of his staff and swung it baseball-bat style, airbending a gust of wind the deflected the fireball into a nearby ice cliff. The face of the cliff seemed to explode on impact, sending a large amount of ice and snow sliding down the cliff toward Zuko's doomed ship. The entire channel, along with the bow of Zuko's ship, was soon clogged with ice.

"They won't be getting out of that any time soon," Yusei muttered as Aang, Katara, and Sokka laughed in relief. Elodie, however, was sad and pained by what had happened to her former friends, and then she felt guilty about feeling sad, then she felt guilty for feeling guilty... Elodie finally just turned away, fighting to back tears of shame and betrayal.

Suddenly, she felt Yusei's arm around her shoulder again. She turned to him and found him gazing at her with deep concern in his cerulean blue eyes. "So how did you wind up with the Fire Nation in the first place?"

Elodie swallowed hard and looked away as she felt Sokka and Katara's eyes turn to her. Though Aang was at Appa's head with the reins, she was sure he was listening too. "When we…. um, got separated, I fell in the ocean. It was storming out and I nearly drowned. I managed to grab onto an iceberg to keep myself out of the water, but I was freezing and I knew I wouldn't last for long. I saw the ship coming and started yelling for help, and they sent out a rescue boat. Zuko was on it, along with some of his men. They got me off the iceberg and brought me back to the ship, where his uncle, Iroh, the old man, took care of me. I told Zuko you and the others might be out there, Yusei, but they never found you… and I thought…"

Yusei pulled Elodie into a hug as tears began to spill down her cheeks and sobs choked off her voice. "It's alright, El. The others are alive, I'm sure they are. We just have to find them."

"But what if they're not safe?" Elodie asked fearfully. "The only reason I joined Zuko's crew was because they were going to leave me in some port alone, and I thought it would be my only chance to find you guys. What if some of the others made the same mistake I did?"

"You mean join the Fire Nation?" Sokka interjected. "Then this is about to become a very interesting adventure, isn't it?"

"Sokka," Katara admonished, slapping her brother on the shoulder.

"We'll figure it out, El," Yusei told Elodie, ignoring the Water Tribe siblings. "Everything will be alright in time, I promise."

Elodie sighed and gently pushed herself out of Yusei's hold, ashamed at her weakness. She looked around at Sokka and Katara and said, "I want to thank you both for helping me and Aang. I know you wanted to save him, but I would have understood if you had left me behind, after what I almost did back in the village…"

"What you _almost_ did doesn't matter," Katara said kindly, reaching forward and gripping Elodie's hand. "What you _did _was try to stop Zuko from attacking our village."

"But if I hadn't been so ignorant in the first place, there might not have been an attack-"

"You really think you alone could have convinced Zuko not to attack the village?" Sokka stepped in. He still didn't completely trust the girl, but part of him "No, trying to stop him would only have landed you imprisoned, which you ended up being anyway. Katara's right, and as hard as it is for me to admit, we're the ones who owe you and Aang thanks."

"Thanks for what?" Aang asked, appearing over the top of Appa's head.

"That depends on where you want to start," Yusei replied. "Giving yourself up to protect the village, keeping Elodie safe, your waterbending on the ship…"

"That's right!" Katara exclaimed, turning to Aang. "How did you do that, Aang? With the water! It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

Strangely, Aang seemed to sober up at Katara's praise. He turned away from her, sitting cross-legged on the bridge of Appa's saddle and gazing almost sadly down through the clouds, which were now a light shade of pink in the fading sunlight. "I don't know," he replied. "I just sort of... did it.'

Katara's amazed expression seemed to fade and become more melancholy. "Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" she asked without accusation.

Aang's eyes seemed to tighten for a moment, and he suddenly seemed like the lost, scared little kid everyone had expected to see right from the beginning. "Because I never wanted to be."

Elodie and Yusei exchanged shocked, sympathetic expressions; they were both familiar with feelings of unwanted responsibility, and they knew the heavy burden it brought to a lot of people. But not even they could imagine bearing that burden at that young of an age…

"But Aang," Katara continued gently, "the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war."

"And how am I going to do that?" Aang asked sadly.

Elodie decided to speak up. "My knowledge about this war may come from an old Fire Nation general, but as far as I know, the Avatar is the master of all four elements, right? Air first, then water, earth, and fire?"

"That's what the monks told me," Aang agreed.

"Well," Katara put in, "You've already mastered air. And if we go to the North Pole, you can master waterbending as well."

Aang finally smiled, perking up at the thought. "We can learn it together!" he exclaimed.

"We might be able to find the rest of our friends along the way as well," Yusei added, resting a hand on Elodie's shoulder as they both smiled at each other.

Katara, now also smiling, turned to her brother. "And Sokka, I'm sure you'll get to knock some firebender heads on the way."

"I'd like that," Sokka said almost dreamily. "I'd really like that."

"As would I, Sokka," Elodie agreed with a devilish look. "As would I."

"Then we're in this together," Katara stated proudly.

"That's right," Yusei agreed. "We're headed for the North Pole!"

"All right," Aang confirmed, pulling out a scroll and rolling it out in front of him, revealing a map of the world as he airbent himself down into the saddle with the group. "But before I learn waterbending, we have some serious business to attend to here, here, and here," he declared, pointing at three different spots on the map.

"What's there?" Katara asked, pointing at one of the spots.

"Here, we'll ride the hopping llamas," the little airbender answered happily. "Then waaaay over here we'll surf on the backs of giant koi fish! Then back over here we'll ride the hog-monkeys. They don't like people riding them, but that's what makes it fun!"


	10. The Southern Air Temple Part 1

**The Southern Air Temple**

Elodie couldn't sleep that night. She kept seeing flashes of the previous day's events going through her mind: Iroh prepping her for a battle that wouldn't happen; both Yusei and Zuko looking at her with betrayal in their eyes; Aang's forgiving smile; Aang's eyes and tattoos glowing with his Avatar spirit; her battles against those who used to be her comrades; Iroh's melancholy, apologetic gaze… all of it was swirling in her head like the maelstrom Aang had created on the ship. How could she have allowed herself to be tricked? How could she have allowed any of this to happen?

Giving up on sleep, Elodie sat up from her position in Appa's saddle. Aang had picked the shore of an enclosed lake as the spot to make camp, and the airbender himself was fast asleep on top of Appa's head. Elodie had changed out of her Fire Nation armor and now wore a traditional Water Tribe outfit, which Katara and Sokka's grandmother had been thoughtful enough to give to her grandchildren for her. Elodie's armor was now wrapped up in one of Aang's old sheets and packed away in the saddle. Two large strands of her hair around her face were tied back in a ponytail, out of her eyes, while the rest hung loosely over her shoulders. Looking up, Elodie saw a smattering of stars sparkling against the night sky, which was just starting to brighten along the eastern horizon. She had always loved gazing at the stars, though she hadn't taken the time to really see them since she fell into this time, and she was relieved to find that at least they were the same. She turned and saw Yusei sitting upright across from her, his dark blue eyes sparkling in the starlight as he watched her.

"Couldn't sleep?" Yusei asked gently.

"No," Elodie mumbled, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "I've got so much on my mind…"

"Me too," Yusei replied. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Elodie huffed loudly, shaking her head. "I don't even know where to start…"

Yusei nodded in understanding, but then Elodie looked up, staring at him curiously. "Actually, Yusei, I do know. How did you end up with Sokka and Katara? And how did you guys find Aang?"

Yusei sighed, getting up and walking across the saddle to sit next to his friend. "That's a pretty long story. I guess I'll start with when the time machine went wild…"

Elodie almost smiled at that comment, happy to finally have someone to talk to about what had really happened to them. Yusei told her about how he had fallen into the South Pole during the blizzard, how Sokka had found him, and how Katara and their grandmother had taken him in. He briefly described their fruitless search for the others who had crashed and the battle against the Polar Leopard-Bear. He talked a little bit about living in the South Pole before he explained how they had found Aang in the iceberg, how Aang and Katara had accidentally set off the flare that led Zuko to the Water Tribe, and Aang's momentary banishment from the tribe.

"After we left, we saw Zuko's ship heading toward the village and went back to warn them," Yusei finished, "and then you know the rest of the story from there."

"Indeed, I do," Elodie agreed. "Can I ask for the story behind the penguin riding?"

Yusei actually laughed out loud at that one. "Penguin sledding, actually. It's a hobby of Aang's. It was the fastest way we could get to the village since he couldn't fly both of us on his glider." Finished with his story, Yusei turned to fully face Elodie. "Now I think it's my turn to ask questions."

Elodie frowned slightly, suddenly nervous. "Alright. Shoot."

"First of all, what happened between you and Zuko?"

That was the question Elodie was most afraid of. Turning away from Yusei and hugging her knees, she weakly replied, "I don't know, Yusei. We weren't quite friends I don't think, but I had hoped we would be. I mean… he saved me from drowning. He's always been kind of intimidating, but I thought that beneath his angry façade, he was really just lonely and misunderstood… I thought I understood him…"

"Why didn't you?" Yusei asked. "Didn't you read his aura?"

Elodie's expression became inexplicably pained and scared. "Yusei… I don't have my powers anymore," she said in a choked voice.

"What?" Yusei gasped. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know. You're the scientist, not me. All I know is that I lost my powers and my deck somewhere during the time travel process."

"I lost my deck, too," Yusei said with a pained tone. "I think we all must have lost whatever modern form of technology or whatever we had on us in the time machine. It wouldn't let anything that didn't belong in this time through."

"But that doesn't explain my powers, Yusei," said Elodie, sitting up and turning to her friend. "The only time I ever felt anything was three days ago when I thought I saw the Avatar in a vision-"

"Wait, this happened three days ago?" Yusei interrupted. "You mean late-morning, early afternoon-ish?"

Elodie frowned again. "Yeah, I think so."

"That was when Aang came out of the iceberg! I felt my mark burn at the same time that happened, and I know the other Signers felt that as well because I felt them through my mark!"

"Do you think Bruno saw anything, wherever he is?" Elodie asked. "He doesn't have psychic powers or a Signer mark."

"I don't know. I couldn't feel Bruno, unfortunately."

"So everything _is_ all connected to Aang," Elodie murmured, turning to look over at the sleeping airbender on the bison's head. "But how? How is he supposed to help us find the others?"

"He helped me find you, didn't he?" Yusei pointed out. "Maybe this journey to the North Pole will eventually lead us to the others as well."

"But where, Yusei?" Elodie asked desperately. "In the Earth Kingdom? The Fire Nation? At the bottom of an ocean or in the middle of a volcano? We have no idea if everyone even landed in the south or not! Who knows where the others are?"

Yusei stared at her for a moment, surprised by her abrupt panic. Elodie slumped back against the saddle and buried her face in her arms, hugging her knees to her chest again. "I'm sorry I yelled like that," she apologized softly. "It's just… without my powers, I have no idea what is happening to the others, and it scares me. Not only am I worried sick for them, but… Yusei, for almost a week I've thought I lost all of the people in the world whom I cared about, and who cared about me. I can't feel anyone or anything… I was completely alone. I thought I knew loneliness, but…"

Yusei put a hand on her shoulder. "But you're not alone anymore, Elodie," he told her gently. "I'm here now, and so is the Avatar. Sokka and Katara might need some time to warm up to you, but they're here for you as well. We're all in this together, remember? Besides, you always say everything happens for a reason. I think this is happening for a reason too."

"We are here for a reason," Elodie remarked dryly. "Your time machine backfired."

"I don't even think it was the time machine," Yusei continued. "When my mark burned after we found Aang, I felt a strange connection with the Crimson Dragon. I feel like he has some sort of mission for us here, and we won't be able to go home until we find the others and complete that mission, whatever it is."

Elodie looked up over her arm at him skeptically. "Sounds highly superstitious to me. And even if that were true, Yusei, that could take months. Heck, that could take _years."_

"I never said it would be soon, or easy. I think we just have to trust our instincts and have faith in the others that they'll know how to survive."

"And if any of them wind up like me and join the bad guys?"

Yusei frowned at Elodie. "You really need to quit beating yourself up about that. If any of the others did make that mistake, though I don't think they would, we'll figure it out as it happens."

"Did you figure I wouldn't join the bad guys, Yusei?" Elodie asked quietly, locking Yusei's gaze onto hers.

"I didn't think you would lose your powers," Yusei explained. "Besides, you were desperate. You had no choice."

"The others might be just as desperate."

"We'll figure it out, Elodie," Yusei stated firmly, trying not to be too misunderstanding of Elodie's doubtful attitude. "We just have to have faith and hope."

Elodie heard the dismissive tone in his voice and knew the conversation was over. Faith and hope were always two things Elodie had struggled with in the past, and she was having trouble believing in them now, with everything that was happening. But she did believe in Yusei, and if he was as certain as he seemed to be, then Elodie decided she would believe it.

But there was still one road block that Elodie couldn't quite get over.

"You told Aang and the others we were out fishing and shipwrecked and that's how we all got separated, right?" she asked Yusei. "That'll be hard for them to believe if we find someone farther North."

"We'll just have to make up an explanation when it comes to it," Yusei replied. "We've only been separated for a week; that's plenty of time for the others to spread themselves out."

Elodie raised an eyebrow at Yusei. "Yeah, maybe if we still had airplanes and cruise liners and cars. Yusei, we're travelling on a flying bison. _A flying freaking bison._ Probably the last one in existence, in fact, and this is supposed to be the fastest possible way we can travel? From what we've seen of this time, I doubt we'll find an airport or bus stop anywhere."

"We can't tell them the truth," Yusei stated firmly. "They would think we're crazy. We need Aang, Katara, and Sokka on our side if we're going to get out of this mess, and if we tell them this crazy story about us coming here in a time machine-"

"I'm not saying we should tell them," Elodie interrupted. "I'm just saying… oh, Yami,_ I_ don't even know what I'm saying!"

Yusei sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "I know this is all really complicated, but we can't think that far ahead right now. There's just no much that's uncertain. We're drive ourselves insane if we keep going on like this."

Elodie leaned back against the saddle, her head hanging over the edge as she gazed up at the stars. "Maybe you're right. Let's just take this one day at a time, huh?"

"Take what a day at a time?"

Elodie and Yusei both cried out in alarm as the voice came unexpectedly from around them. They whirled around and saw Aang leaning against the bridge of the saddle, smiling at them happily.

"Aang, you scared us!" Elodie exclaimed, one hand pressed against her racing heart.

"How much of what we said did you hear?" Yusei asked cautiously, afraid the little airbender had heard more than they would have wanted him to.

"Just you saying that something was complicated," Aang replied. "Why, what were you guys talking about?"

"We were discussing how to find the rest of our friends," Elodie answered quickly. "We still don't know where they all are or how to find them."

"Oh," said Aang. "Well, don't worry you guys, I'm sure we'll find them on our way to the North Pole. They couldn't have gone too far away from the South, right?"

Elodie gave Yusei what was clearly and I-told-you-so look. Fortunately, Katara chose that moment to wake up. With a loud yawn, she stretched her arms over her head and climbed out of her sleeping bag, walking over to Appa and looking up at her friends in the saddle.

"Hey, you guys," she called up to them. "What are you doing up? The sun has just barely risen."

"Oh, we were just getting up," Aang called down to her as Elodie and Yusei looked toward the horizon, alarmed that the sun had indeed risen almost all the way over the cliff surrounding the lake. "We need to be heading off soon anyway, if we're gonna reach the Air Temple today! Wake up Sokka so we can start packing up!"

* * *

LATER ON THAT MORNING…..

Crow stood perched on roof top of the Air Temple's tallest tower, gazing out over the misty mountains. Perched on his arm was the little lemur creature he had befriended over the week, chattering anxiously.

"It's been nearly three days since my mark burned, little guy," Crow said to his friend. "They must be coming soon."

The lemur squawked a couple of times.

"I don't know how they're gonna get here," Crow answered the little monkey. "I just know they will. If Yusei, Akiza, and Jack all felt what I did when our marks lit up, then they'll have a plan to come here."

Again the monkey chattered in his ear, and Crow replied, "I can't go find them because I have no idea where anything is in this world. The temple is the only thing I'm familiar with. What do you expect me to do, fly across entire continents? No, I'm sure the others have learned a lot more about that world than I have, since my information is a bit dated. Besides, my gut is telling me I need to stay here, and that's worked out for me so far, hasn't it?"

The lemur chittered under his breath before climbing off of Crow's arm and to the top of spire. Suddenly, the little creature squawked in alarm, his fur puffing up as he pointed a spindly hand down toward the mountains. Crow quickly followed his friend's arm and spotted something flying toward them in the distance. With a gasp, Crow got a firmer hold of his staff, let go of the top spire and slid down the roof, leaping off at the edge and landing firmly on the top of the closest tower. He did another one of these leap-frog hops to another, lower tower and held fast to the top, staring hopefully at what now appeared to be one of the creatures depicted in the Air Nomad's murals.

"It's a sky bison!" he exclaimed excitedly as the lemur flew down to sit in Crow's wild orange hair. "I almost thought they were extinct! But… is that a_ saddle_ on its back?"

Indeed, it was a saddle. Squinting his eyes, Crow could barely make out what he thought was four blue figures sitting in the saddle, along with a fifth orange one sitting on top of the bison's head. They were now just beneath the tower Crow was perched on, still too far away to be seen but definitely landing at the temple.

"There's five passengers. It's gotta be them!" Crow cried excitedly. "I told you they would come!"

The lemur squawked indignantly as Crow slid down the roof again, grabbing the edge of it with his hands this time, and swung himself through a window in the tower. "C'mon, little lemur-friend!" he exclaimed as he headed down the steps. "Let's go and meet them!"

* * *

**A/N**: A lot of you reviewers have been asking a lot about Crow. Well, here's the start of what happened to him! The rest of his story will be revealed next chapter, and we should get a glimpse into Bruno's and Jack's lives again further on.

This chapter is basically Yusei and Elodie getting caught up with one another about what's happening. I'd still like to hear what you all think though!

_**REVIEW, PLEASE!**_


	11. The Southern Air Temple Part 2

**A/N:** I started doing this on my other stories, so I want to see how this would work here. I'm gonna make you readers a deal: you review the chapter, I'll send you a preview of the next chapter. Sound like a fair trade? I think so :) Now to the story!

* * *

Elodie knew something was wrong as soon as she set foot on the air temple path.

The temple was beautiful, with majestic towers glistening in the early noon sun, but its mystique was faded and sad, a mere ghost of what the temple had once been. Vines and weeds had crept through cracks in the stone and around the pillars; it was as if nature was trying to suffocate history. Elodie wished she had been able to see the temple in its glory days. She could tell by the sad, depressed way Aang wistfully looked over his home, taking in the cracked rocks and weeds.

But what had happened to the people who lived here? She remembered Iroh telling her the Air Nomads had died out long ago, but he had never said how…

She found out when Sokka discovered the helmet.

"Hey, you guys," Sokka called softly as he got up from falling off the airball field. He was crawling toward something he had spotted at the base of a small overhang close to where he fell. "Check this out."

Katara, Yusei, and Elodie all walked over to the water tribe boy, slightly worried by Sokka's serious tone. Elodie felt her heart skip a beat and her blood freeze at the sight of a scorched, old-fashioned Fire Nation helmet.

"Fire Nation," she breathed, crouching down next to Sokka. She could feel his eyes on her as she reached out and touched the tip of one of the horns; it was blunt and brittle beneath her gloved fingers. Anger flooded Elodie's veins as she removed her hand, staring at the helmet with obvious hatred. "They were here. The airbenders didn't _die _off! They were _killed!"_

"Does Aang know about this?" Yusei asked, looking back to where Aang was still playing with the airball, rolling it across his shoulders and around his body without touching it.

"I don't think so," Sokka replied as Elodie got to her feet and turned her back on the helmet, unable to stand the sight of it any longer. "We should tell him."

Katara turned to Aang and called, "Aang, there's something you need to see."

"Okay!" Aang replied happily, missing the dismal tone in Katara's voice as he ran toward them with the airball. Suddenly, Katara raised her arms up and brought them down, waterbending a large amount of snow off of the bank above them and burying the helmet, along with Sokka, beneath a pile of snow.

"What is it?" Aang asked when he reached the group.

"Uh, just a new waterbending move I learned," Katara quickly lied, pulling off an innocent smile as Yusei helped pull Sokka out from beneath the snow.

"Nice one," Aang complimented, "but enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see!"

Sokka, still brushing snow off of his head and shoulders, got to his feet as Aang ran away, still as happy and innocent as ever. Despite her anger at the Fire Nation, it was heartbreaking for Elodie to wonder what would happen to him if he found out the truth.

"You know, you can't protect him forever," Sokka told Katara quietly. Katara bowed her head sadly and walked away, obviously just as worried as Elodie was about the little airbender. Elodie looked absent-mindedly toward the edge of the field, fretful thoughts filling her mind, when she spotted something even more intriguing than the Fire Nation helmet.

"Hey, is that another airball?" Elodie asked, pointing at the round, hollow object half-buried in snow.

"Looks like it," Sokka replied as Elodie ran toward it and picked it up. "It must have been left her by the previous airbenders."

But Elodie frowned. "I don't think so. If it had been here that long, the snow would have frozen around it, right?" She knelt down and pointed at the round indention in the snow where the ball had been. "And the edges of the hole here are still crisp. This was put here recently."

Sokka, who prided himself on being an excellent tracker, reluctantly walked over to Elodie and looked over her shoulder. "Hey, you're right," he exclaimed, obviously surprised. "And look, there's more prints next to it…"

"Those are footprints!" Elodie cried, standing up and following the footprints. "And they're fresh, aren't they? They look just as old as the ball print!"

"Yeah, you're right!" Sokka said again, reluctantly impressed by Elodie's tracking skills but also excited by this discovery. "Where did you learn to track?"

Elodie smirked slightly. "It's all part of my trade, Sokka. The Fire Nation wouldn't have taken just any girl into their ranks, after all."

"Hey, Aang!" Yusei, who had been listening to the entire exchange, called over his shoulder. "We found some footprints over here!"

Aang, who was in the middle of performing a complicated-looking airball trick for Katara, suddenly dropped the airball and whirled around to face them. _"Footprints?"_ he exclaimed excitedly. "Where-"

Elodie suddenly cried out as the snow gave away underneath her. She had unknowingly walked over the edge of the cliff and onto a bank of snow hanging over empty space. Elodie frantically tried to regain her footing, but she was already tipping over the edge.

"Elodie!" Sokka, who was closest, reaching out to grab her hand, but she had already fallen out of reach. Elodie screamed again as she felt herself drop into space, the air whistling past her and flipping her over as she fell to her death-

Suddenly, Elodie saw a bright orange glider swoop past her and beneath her, and she instinctively reached out and grabbed the crossbar with both hands, gasping as her arms were nearly pulled out of her sockets. The glider staggered clumsily, as though it couldn't take the added weight, and she heard Aang give a surprisingly rough grunt beneath her. Elodie held on tight and braced herself as the glider skidded over the air, slowly falling further down as Aang took them in a wide arc back around the mountain. They just barely reached the path that lead to the air temple when the glider finally collapsed, throwing both riders off and sending them rolling into a nearby snow bank.

"Elodie!" Yusei's voice shouted as Elodie shakily sat up in the snow, her pounding heart making the blood rush into her head and making her dizzy. Looking up, she saw Yusei, Sokka, Katara, and Aang all running toward them, shocked and worried looks on their faces.

"Are you alright?" Katara cried as she and her brother reached out and pulled Elodie up out of the snow.

"I'm fine," Elodie mumbled, still trying to fight off the shock of her near-death experience. "Thanks to Aang. If he hadn't caught me on his glider I would've been-"

"Elodie," Aang suddenly spoke, his eyes wide and his voice suddenly quiet, "that wasn't me."

It took a moment for Elodie to register his words. "That… wasn't you? But… the glider… the _airbending_…"

She heard a soft, shockingly familiar groan behind her as she noticed Yusei looking over her shoulder with an expression that could only be described as ecstatic. Elodie whirled around and saw her savior, whom she had previously assumed was Aang, climbing out of the snow, brushing the fluffy white stuff off out of his bright orange hair as he picked up his glider and spun it in his hands, the wings retracting into the staff. His mischievous gray eyes were full of warmth as a broad smile crinkled the yellow tattoos on his cheeks and forehead.

"Well," Crow said cheerfully, "that wasn't how I had planned on saying 'hello'!"

"_Crow!_" Yusei shouted, running toward his friend and engulfing him in a big bear hug. Both boys laughed joyfully as Crow dropped his staff and flung his arms around Yusei, squeezing him tightly. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Elodie just watched in varying states of absolute shock.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Yusei cried as he pushed Crow away from him and looked him up and down. "But… what the heck are you wearing?"

"It's my new look," Crow replied with a mad grin as he stepped back and spun around, showing off his new outfit, which was identical to Aang's. As he spun, he bent an air current around him and flew into the air before drifting down in front of Yusei again. "I call it the Rugged Air Nomad look. I found it up in one the sleeping rooms in the temple. You dig?"

Elodie suddenly found herself able to move. Tears of joy burning in her eyes, she raced forward and nearly tackled Crow in a hug, wrapping her arms vice-like around his neck as she sobbed into his shoulder. Crow returned the hug wordlessly, one arm wrapped tightly around her back and the other holding her head, his fingers knotted in her hair. Yusei stepped back and watched the reunion with a glowing smile on his face, barely able to contain his excitement.

Crow and Elodie stood like this for several moments before Elodie got ahold of herself enough to pull away, her arms still around his shoulders, her eyes roving over him as she took in his strange appearance and his remarkable presence.

"I…" she choked, still unable to get her scrambled thoughts to form coherent sentences, "You…"

"I know," Crow said with a soft chuckle, one of his hands cupped around her neck beneath her ear as his thumb wiped a tear from her cheek. "It's a lot to take in."

Elodie grabbed the hand on her face and held it there, her whole body shaking from the effort of holding back her sobs. "I missed you," Elodie finally whispered, but Crow heard a thousand meanings in that one phrase.

"I missed you, too," he replied in the same way, his tone soft and gentle as he nodding in understanding. "I'm so glad you guys are safe. Where are the others?"

A loud, obnoxious cough from behind the reunited trio interrupted Crow's question, and the three friends turned to see Sokka step forward, obviously angry.

"I hate to break up this beautiful reunion," he said sarcastically, "but I think the three of us would like to hear an explanation as to_ how_ one of your friends is an _airbender_ and_ why_ this information was not brought to our attention before!"

"I would like to hear this explanation myself," Elodie murmured to Crow under her breath so Sokka wouldn't hear her.

"That would be my fault, actually," Crow spoke up, thinking quickly. "I, uh, never told these guys I was an airbender because I didn't want to come to the Fire Nation's attention. But I saw Elodie fall, and…" Crow turned to look at Elodie, his arm still wrapped around her waist. "I knew I couldn't keep my secret any longer."

"But how did you get all the way out here?" Katara asked, for once just as suspicious as Sokka. "We're a long ways from the ocean."

Crow looked momentarily confused. With a sudden panic, Yusei and Elodie both realized he was not aware of their cover story. "I've been wondering that myself, Crow," Yusei said, locking eyes with his best friend. "How did you get away from _the shipwreck in the middle of a storm?_"

Crow's eyes widened slightly in understanding. "Oh, the shipwreck! Right, of course. Well, after we ship wrecked, I, um, grabbed onto a piece of driftwood and got myself to some dry ground and shelter. After the storm let up, I searched the area but couldn't find you guys or the others. I walked around the beach for ages. Then I decided to go into the woods to find some food, but I got lost and couple of fire nation soldiers chased me into a cave. In the cave I found this kind of staircase up to the top of the mountain, and that's where I found a trap door into this temple. I figured I'd hide out here before deciding what to do next, and I found a bunch of airbending scrolls and this staff." He bent down and picked up his staff to display. "And I thought to myself, 'Crow, this is the perfect opportunity for you to practice your airbending. No one will find you here, and hopefully you'll become strong enough to fly out and look for the others.' But it seems like you guys found me instead!"

"So that was your footprints we saw back in the field," Katara realized.

"This is great!" Aang cried, striding forward with his arms outstretched and a gleeful smile on his face. "I'm not the last airbender after all!"

"I guess not," Crow replied with a chuckle, stepping toward Aang and gripping his hand firmly. "You must be Avatar Aang. Two firebenders were giving me an awful lot of grief about you. Where the heck have you been the last hundred years?"

"Frozen in an iceberg," Aang answered apologetically. "So which temple are you from? The Western? Northern?"

Crow blanched, not expecting the sudden barrage of questions. "Um, actually, I'm not from the temples. I'm an orphan from, um…"

"Ba Sing Se," Yusei broke in. "The two of us grew up together."

"Yeah, that's right!" Crow agreed, remembering the name from his readings. "I'm from the Earth Kingdom capitol."

Aang frowned. "Then how are you an airbender?"

"Well, golly if I know," Crow answered truthfully, rubbing the back of his neck. "In all honesty, I didn't know I could airbend until recently."

"So you weren't born an airbender?" Sokka asked incredulously. "How is that even possible?"

"Does it really matter?" Elodie asked, trying to keep the issue from getting more complicated. "The important thing is another one of our friends has been found. Half of us are back together!"

"That's right!" Crow agreed, draping his arms over Yusei's and Elodie's shoulders. "And the others have gotta be close by. We'll all be reunited in no time!"

Sokka still seemed unconvinced, but he didn't say anything. Katara was looking back and forth between the three of them with uncertainty in her expression. Aang seemed to be the only one who was happy that Crow was with them.

"So, Aang," Crow spoke again, hoping to break some of the tension. "How 'bout you teach me this airball game before we all continue exploring the temple? It's no fun to try and learn all by yourself!"

_TO BE CONTINUED..._

* * *

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_**REVIEW, PLEASE**_


	12. The Southern Air Temple Part 3

Sokka wasn't buying Crow's story.

The new airbender was talking to Aang energetically as they all walked through the temple. Elodie, Katara, and Yusei were close behind, but Sokka lagged behind, staring at the back of the orange head suspiciously. Not even his growling stomach could distract him from his concerns.

There was no way Crow wasn't born an airbender. That was impossible, wasn't it? If Sokka had been able to learn to water bend, he would've long done it already, though he would never admit it to Katara. He understood why Crow would keep it a secret, but why was he lying about his abilities? Was he afraid of revealing other airbenders as well, so he refused to say what air temple he was really from? But then why were Yusei and Elodie covering for him? And how had the three of them gotten so spread apart from this supposed "ship wreck"?

Sokka may have made mistakes, and he may be a bit of a cynic, but he wasn't a fool. He knew when he was being lied to. He wanted nothing more than to confront the three of them and get the truth out of them, but, strangely enough, he couldn't bring himself up to do it at that moment. They were in Aang's home, this was Aang's day, and Sokka didn't want to do anything to hurt the little airbender more than the Fire Nation helmet would have.

Aang should have seen the helmet. He needed to know the Fire Nation had been here before they discovered something worse. Sokka knew Katara meant well in keeping the truth from him, but all that would do is hurt him even more in the long run. Did Crow know what had happened to the airbenders? He must, if he'd been hiding from fire nation soldiers here for a week; he would've seen something, right? Would he keep that a secret as well?

Sokka broke off his train of thought when he realized the group had stopped in front of a huge wooden door at the end of the corridor. There were three Air symbols arranged in a triangle set in the door, as well as two long, twisting horns connecting them together.

_"_But Aang," Katara was saying, "no one could have survived in there for a hundred years."

Katara was, of course, referring to the person Aang said would help him figure out his role as the Avatar. Apparently his teacher, Monk Gyatso, had told him someone was waiting for him…. A hundred years ago.

"It's not impossible," Aang replied, ever the optimist. "I survived in the iceberg for that long."

**"**Good point."

"I never really thought to look behind this door," Crow said curiously, stepping forward and running a hand over the aged wood. "It just felt… sacred somehow. Off-limits. This is the only part of the temple I haven't explored. I never thought a person would be inside of it!"

"Whoever's in there might help me figure out this Avatar thing!" Aang exclaimed excitedly.

Aang and Crow exchanged knowing smirks. Aang turned a smile to the Water Tribe boy and proclaimed, "The key, Sokka, is airbending."

* * *

"Bruno? Bruno…. Bruno!"

"Huh?" Bruno mumbled, looking up from the half-made blade laying on his work table. Chief Arnook, Yue's father, had come into his workshop unnoticed and was now standing before him, a gentle smile on his wise face. Putting down his tools, Bruno stood respectfully and said, "Sorry, Chief Arnook, I was just working. Is there something you need?"

Chief Arnook chuckled. "Relax, dear boy. I just wanted to check up on you. Are you enjoying the workshop?"

"I am indeed," Bruno replied with a smile, looking around him. Multiple tools, stones, and pieces of wood were scattered and stacked around him, along with several newly made weapons that Bruno had spent the past week working on. When Yue and presented Bruno to her father, the chief asked him what he was good at, and Bruno had immediately replied that he was good at building things. Since that had been the only thing Bruno was able to recognize about himself when he really had amnesia, he saw no harm in admitting that. Arnook had immediately set him up with the tribe blacksmith, and though it was not the kind of work Bruno was used to, he caught on quickly and was soon given his own workshop. The pretend-amnesiac now knew how to build several weapons and hand tools, as well as how to chisel and carve stone, wood, and even ice into different shapes and objects.

"I cannot thank you enough for giving me a place to stay with your tribe," Bruno continued gratefully. "I don't know what I would have done without it."

"It was my pleasure, Bruno," Arnook replied with a smile. "How are the healing sessions with Madam Yugoda doing?"

Bruno sighed, looking away from the chief to try and hide his guilt. He knew Madam Yugoda was becoming more and more suspicious about his amnesia act, and he hated having to constantly lie about it. "No luck yet."

Arnook nodded solemnly. "Yes, that is what Madam Yugoda said. I think I might have an idea that might help you, though."

Bruno looked up in surprise. "What idea?"

"I was just talking to Yue. She said she found you in the Spirit Oasis sanctuary, right?"

Bruno went pink at the mention of the princess. His relationship with Yue had been becoming closer and closer over the past week; she came and visited him every day after his blacksmithing lessons, and she had already showed him every single feature of the Northern Water Tribe. Despite the size of the tribe, it was nothing compared to New Domino City, so Bruno learned the layout rather quickly – even with Yue distracting him the entire time (not that she knew she was doing that, of course).

"Yeah, she did. What about it?"

Arnook leaned against Bruno's work table, his expression serious. "That sanctuary is the most spiritual place in the entire North Pole. It is the dwelling place of the Ocean and Moon Spirits. They have helped me before, and I believe they may help you."

Bruno's eyebrows flew up into his hair. "Um…. Spirits…. Right. What did they help you with?"

Arnook sighed heavily, looking Bruno over with critical eyes. "I suppose you know her well enough… "

"Who? Yue?"

Arnook sighed again and replied, "Yes. You know how white her hair is?"

Bruno frowned for a moment. "Yeah, that was one of the first things I noticed. And now that you mention it, I've never seen anyone else with her hair color, either." _Or any hair color other than black or brown_, he added in his head.

"Well, when she was first born, her hair was dark brown, but she didn't cry or open her eyes. She looked like she was asleep. Our healers all told us she was going to die. I went to the Oasis and prayed to the Spirits to save her, and then I placed her in the pool. Her dark hair turned white, she opened her eyes and began to cry, and my wife and I knew she would live. That's why we named her Yue: for the moon."

Bruno blinked in sat back in surprise as the story sunk in. "Wow… that's… I don't know what to say."

Arnook nodded in understanding. "Don't tell her I told you, okay? I don't know how comfortable she is with other people knowing about her connection to the Spirits. The reason I told you is because I believe the Spirits might help you with your memory."

"So… you're going to set me in the pond?"

"No, of course not," Arnook chuckled. "We are going to visit the Oasis and meditate. It is possible that if we wait there until nightfall, when the moon is out, the Spirits may be merciful and give you your memory back."

* * *

_"He did it?"_ Azula cried, sitting up so quickly that she splattered the servants combing her hair with water. "Jack actually managed to _firebend_?"

"Yes, your majesty," Jeong-Jeong confirmed, bowing to the princess. "He did it just yesterday. He is out practicing in the courtyard right away."

Azula got to her feet, ignoring her dolefully indignant servants, and demanded, "Show me."

Jeong-Jeong bowed again and led the princess outside to the courtyard. Still dressed in her bathrobe and her hair wet, Azula was careful to keep herself hidden in the shadows as she peered around a pillar to watch Jack Atlas practicing.

To her immense shock, she saw Jack was indeed firebending. He was going through the motions Jeong-Jeong had taught him with ease, kicking and punching at the air as bright orange flames soared out of his pores. She could see the muscles flexing in his arms and bare chest, see how steadily he was breathing through every motion. His movements were fluid and even, but powerful, and though his violet eyes burned in concentration, there was a satisfied smirk upon his face at his accomplishment.

The sight made Azula furious. Her head literally began to steam as the water in her hair dried under the heat of her anger. "He wasn't supposed to actually learn how to firebend!" Azula hissed and the Jeong-Jeong, turning her fury on the poor old man. "He's just a peasant! A _non-bending_ peasant! How is this possible?"

"I have been asking myself that since he created his first fire blast yesterday," Jeong-Jeong replied calmly.

"_Yesterday?"_ Azula gasped. "This started _yesterday_? So why did you wait until now to tell me about this?"

"If you do recall, your highness, you were with the Fire Lord and the war counsel all day. I tried to send a messenger in with the news, but Fire Lord Ozai's guards insisted the meeting would not be interrupted."

Azula growled and turned her flaming amber eyes back to Jack, who had just finished his drill and straightened, pressing his hand down in front of his chest and exhaling slowly. With another self-satisfied smile, he moved over to the edge of the pond and sat down cross-legged, grabbing a towel lying in the grass and wiping the sweat from his hairline.

"He has been practicing tirelessly all day," Jeong-Jeong informed the princess. "I had to force him to stop at sunset yesterday and get some rest, and before the sun was over the mountains he was up and at it again. In all my years, I haven't seen such determination in all of my soldiers; nor have I seen such immediate skill and ease."

Azula turned a furious glare to the old master. "Is that admiration I hear in your tone?" she hissed.

Jeong-Jeong bowed meekly. "With all due respect, princess, I do not understand why you are so upset about this remarkable turn of events. You wanted the boy to become a soldier for you, and now you have something better: a soldier who can firebend."

Azula turned away, grinding her teeth in frustration. She hadn't forgotten the deal she had made with Jack, but she was supposed to have gotten the better end of it. The only reason she had agreed to let the yellow-haired peasant be trained in firebending was because she was certain he would never be able to actually do it. The two of them were now shared a skill in common, and if he continued to be instructed, it was very well that he could turn against her.

Then again, the reason Azula had wanted to keep Jack was because she thought he would make a useful pawn. Perhaps this would, as Jeong-Jeong was suggesting, make him even more useful. Just because he could spout flames from his fists didn't make him a threat; he had one day of training under his belt while Azula, a prodigy since she was eleven, had years. And if she trained him herself from here on out, she could ensure that she had total control over his actions.

"Perhaps you're right, Jeong-Jeong," Azula muttered thoughtfully, watching Jack through narrowed eyes as he began twirling a small flame between his fingers like a marble. "I admit this was not what I had expected, but I still might be able to keep the odds in my favor." She turned to face the old general again. "I will be the one instructing him from now on. And send word to the Fire Sages at the Temple that Jack and I will be arriving there shortly."


	13. The Southern Air Temple Part 4

_"Firebender,"_ Sokka hissed, watching the approaching shadow from behind the statue he, Yusei, and Elodie were hiding behind. "No one make a sound."

"You're making a sound!" Katara snapped at him in a loud whisper, only to be shushed by the other five members of the group.

Crow peered around the statue he was hiding behind with Katara and Aang, and he saw the shadow looming toward them from the doorway to the Air Temple Sanctuary. The other few thousand statues of the past Avatars seemed to gaze down grimly at the scene below them. Crow glanced at Katara and Aang, who looked back at him with fearful eyes. Yusei wore a similar expression, but Elodie's and Sokka's faces only betrayed anger and determination.

"That firebender won't know what hit him," Sokka growled, raising his club slightly. A low hiss issued from behind Elodie's teeth as she too seemed to brace herself for an attack.

Crow looked back at the shadow. The points of what were presumably the firebender's helmet horns were now right in between the two statues the group was hiding behind. But Crow felt as though something was wrong with the situation. The shadow seemed extremely familiar to the new airbender, and he was sure it wasn't the same as the Fire Nation soldiers he met last week…

"I don't think that's a firebender," Crow muttered, leaning further out from behind his statue to get a better look at the intruder.

"Crow, what are you doing?" Katara whispered in panic, reaching out to grab his arm, but Crow's head was already poking clear from the statue's shadow and he was looking into the eyes of the intruder…

"Hey, it's you!" Crow exclaimed happily. "I was wondering where you had gotten to!"

The other five teens immediately looked around their statues to see who Crow was talking to. What they saw was not a firebender, but a small primate no larger than Yusei's head, his hair included. It had large, round eyes, brown and white fur, and huge, bat-like ears. It was standing on two legs like a person, but as it noticed the stares of the six teens, it sat down on its haunches and chittered nervously, its ears falling back meekly.

"That's not a firebender!" Yusei remarked. "That's a-"

"Lemur!" Aang cried out in delight.

_"Dinner!"_ Sokka groaned longingly, his mouth watering.

"Don't listen to him," Aang told the little creature, who was looking back and forth between the three boys curiously. "You're going to be my new pet."

"Not if I get him first!" Sokka cried, lunging for the lemur.

"Over my dead body!" Crow shouted protectively as he and Aang leapt forward to intercept the hungry warrior, arms outstretched. The lemur's back arched, its fur bristling and tail sticking straight up like a cat's, as the three boys approached, and with a screech of fear, it turned and dashed back out of the sanctuary. Sokka, Aang, and Crow all took off after it.

"Crow!" Elodie exclaimed in surprise. "Guys, what are you doing?"

"Wait!" Aang called, obviously after the lemur. "Come back!"

_"I __wanna eat you!"_ Sokka's cry echoed back to the sanctuary as the lemur and the three boys disappeared around a corner. Yusei, Elodie, and Katara all stared after them in shock before exchanging looks with one another.

"Should we go after them?" Yusei asked uncertainly.

"Knowing Sokka," Katara sighed, folding her arms disapprovingly, "it's probably best if we didn't get involved."

* * *

Crow and Aang raced after the lemur through the halls of the temple together, Sokka close on their heels. As the hungry water tribe boy came up to Aang's side, he swung his club beneath Aang's knees, but the little airbender nimbly leapt up and used airbending to run along with walls of the hallway, laughing as he did so. Crow put on a burst of speed and shot around Sokka before the warrior had a chance to stop him, and once he and Aang were far enough ahead, they turned and together, they sent an airball spinning back through the hall toward Sokka. The two airbenders laughed as they heard Sokka give a loud "Oof!" behind them, and they gave each other a high-five.

The hallway ahead ended at a balcony, and the two airbenders found the lemur sitting on the guardrail. It looked back as Crow and Aang approached, and with another cry it turned and jumped down from the guardrail, over the side of the cliff. Aang jumped after it with a gleeful laugh, leaping off rocks that jutted out from the cliff face. Crow, however, stopped himself at the guardrail and stared down at the airbender, feeling as though and anchor had dropped through his stomach.

Sokka finally reached the guardrail, leaning over it and shouting after Aang, "Hey! No fair!"

Crow grabbed Sokka's shoulder, his eyes widening in horror. "Sokka, Gyatso's skeleton is in a grotto at the bottom of this cliff!"

_"Gyatso?"_ Sokka cried, turning to the orange-haired airbender in surprise. "How do you know?"

"I found it when I first came here, except I didn't know who it was before," Crow responded. He remembered the statue Aang had showed the group earlier of his old mentor, and he realized what had looked familiar about it: the carving of the necklace around the statue's neck had matched the one he had seen on the skeleton. "If Aang finds it…"

Crow leapt off the guard rail after Aang, this time using his glider, which he had kept on hand the whole time, to fly after the lemur and the Avatar.

* * *

"And this, Akiza," said Professor Zei, gesturing toward at the beautiful building on the mountainside in front of them, "is one of the many Temples in the Earth Kingdom."

Akiza stared at the building in wonder. It reminded the young scholar of some of the temples she had seen on a school field trip to Tokyo, except the architecture was slightly different and looked brand new. It was about the size of a small house, but was round, the walls made of thick wood painted green with gold beams, and a read border across the top. The roof of the temple was also dark green, round and smooth, with a rounded gold spire on the top, on the front of which was set an Earth Kingdom symbol.

"This is amazing!" Akiza murmured in awe. "What are the temples used for?"

"Mainly to pray or worship powerful Spirits in the Spirit World," Zei replied. "They were once used as sanctuaries for the Avatar, but since his disappearance, the temples have fallen to disuse."

"The Avatar?" Akiza repeated, whirling around to face the professor. "You mean, he lived in these temples?"

Zei chuckled once and shook his head. "No, each Avatar had his own home in his respective nation. He or she used the temples as safe houses or resting places while travelling across the world. Many still hold historical relics or murals of the past Avatars, and many of the temples' keepers still hold out hope that the Avatar will return, but many have lost that hope."

Akiza looked back at the temple with renewed hope in her eyes. She knew the Avatar was alive, and from the feeling she got when her mark burned a couple of days ago, she suspected that he was with her friends. Could she possibly get a message to them through the temple?

Akiza felt something wet and rough nudge her hand, and she looked down to see Chie sit next to her, whining curiously. Akiza knelt down and rubbed the fox's ears, saying, "What do you think, Chie? Is it worth a shot?"

In response, the little fox gave a small, raspy bark and liked Akiza's face. Taking that as an agreement, Akiza smiled and turned back to Zei. "Professor, do you think it would be alright if we went inside?"

* * *

"Aang, wait!" Crow called as he landed in the clearing beneath the temple, but Aang paid him no attention as he tried to pounce on the lemur, who was sitting nearby. Aang barely missed and the creature leapt away, escaping through a pair of decaying curtains swaying ominously in the breeze over the entrance to a grotto: the same grotto in which Crow had found Gyatso's skeleton.

"Hey, come back!" Aang called after the lemur, moving to follow it through the curtain.

"Aang, stop!" Crow shouted, grabbing the airbender's shoulder. "Don't go in there?"

Aang turned and looked up at Crow in surprise. "What's wrong, Crow? I just want to find the lemur."

"I… Aang, it won't come to you if you keep chasing it. Let's just… wait for it to come out, okay?"

"By that time, Sokka might catch up," Aang disagreed. "I don't want him to eat him!"

"Sokka was just joking, Aang! C'mon, let's just wait for a moment, okay? I know that lemur, he likes me. He might come out if I'm here."

"Not if Sokka is around," Aang replied. "Just because we know he was joking doesn't mean the lemur does."

Aang shrugged off Crow's hand and ran through the curtain. "Oh, crap!" Crow cursed. "Aang, wait!" he cried in panic as he followed Aang through the curtain.

"Come on out, little lemur!" Aang called gently as he pushed apart the second drape, which was the only thing that now stood between him and the century old massacre that awaited him. "That hungry guy won't bother you anymore."

Aang pulled the drape back and walked through into the grotto.

"Aang, _no!" _Crow cried.

Crow yanked the curtain apart just as he heard Aang draw a sharp breath. The young airbender was staring around at the mass of skeletons and Fire Nation armor littering the floor with obvious horror.

"Aang..." Crow said despairingly, moving to stand behind him.

"Firebenders?" Aang said in shock, his voice sounding incredibly young and vulnerable. "They were _here?_"

"Aang, I'm so sorry," Crow said again, his own voice cracking as he rested a hand on Aang's shoulder. "I should have told you…"

Aang looked to the back of the grotto. Bathed in sunlight filtering through a hole in the roof was a skeleton of an airbender, obviously a monk by the decaying clothes draped over its bones, with a wooden necklace hanging where the neck used to be. On the face of the necklace were three spirals, just like the ones on the statue in the temple above.

_"Gyatso..."_ Aang murmured in anguish, his eyes shining with tears.

Crow couldn't think of anything to say as the young airbender fell, devastated, to his knees. He should have warned Aang what had happened. He should have told him what he had found here, what had happened to his people. He shouldn't have had to find out like this. Crow knelt down next to Aang as the latter's shoulders began to shake, soft moaning and sniffling noises coming from behind his hands. Without speaking, Crow gently wrapped his arm around Aang's shoulders and pulled him close, trying to comfort him as he would for the kids in his nest back in Satellite.

"I'm sorry, Aang," Crow whispered.

Suddenly, the curtain was yanked back. "Hey, you guys find my dinner yet?"

Crow didn't have to turn around to know it was Sokka, who seemed to be completely oblivious to the current situation. Aang continued to cry into Crow's shoulder as Sokka approached.

"Aang, I wasn't really going to eat the lemur, okay?" he said in a gentler voice, but Crow looked up and shook his head, jerking it over to where Gyatso's skeleton lay. Sokka's eyes widened in understanding and horror "Oh, man," he groaned.

"I tried to stop him," Crow murmured remorsefully, looking down at Aang and patting his back soothingly. "I tried to tell him, but…"

Sokka nodded, his expression just as regretful and pained as Crow's. "Come on, Aang," Sokka said, trying to be comforting as he rested a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Everything will be all right. Let's get out of here."

All of a sudden, Crow cried out and released Aang like the grieving airbender was on fire. He clutched his left forearm as he felt the marks of the other Signer's activate around the world, and at the same time Crow's Mark of the Dragon burned red, the arrow on Aang's head began to glow bright blue.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	14. The Southern Air Temple Part 5

Back in the Air Temple Sanctuary, Yusei and Elodie both cried out and doubled over in pain in front of Avatar Roku's statue. Elodie was clutching her head; Yusei, his arm.

"Guys?" Katara cried, hurrying toward them in shock and worry. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

Suddenly, the eyes of Roku's statue in front of them began to glow bright blue. Through the pain, Yusei and Elodie looked up to see all of the statues lighting up in the same way, one at a time, in a dizzying succession that rose up above them in a seemingly endless spiral. The trio realized what was happening at once.

_"Aang!"_ Katara, Yusei, and Elodie all cried in unison.

* * *

Akiza walked through the doors of the temple, gasping at the beautiful sight that met her eyes; the building even more amazing inside than it was outside. Stone statues of past Earth Kingdom Avatars were lined proudly along the left hand wall, carved with incredibly intricate detail. To the write were more statues and busts of powerful Earth Kingdom spirits, in front of which were alters or tables for offerings. On the wall opposite of the entrance was a beautifully painted mural of Earth Kingdom heroes and heroines poised powerfully on mountains surrounded by clouds. In the center of the room was a the largest statue of all: the most recent of the Earth Kingdom's Avatars, Avatar Kyoshi. A few of the temple's priests were in the temple, cleaning alters or offering gifts or prayer to some of the statues. One of them seemed to be meditating in front of the mural.

The priest cleaning a nearby alter set down his cleaning rag and walked over to Akiza, Chie, and Zei, bowing respectfully. "Welcome, travelers, to our temple," he said quietly. The priest was dressed in brown and green robes that went all the way down to his feet, with a tall green hat nestled that looked like a mixture between a togue and a mitre snuggly on his head. "What can we do for you?"

Akiza and Zei bowed in the same respectful manner before Zei replied, "We were wondering if we might be able to look around, good priest. If that is alright with you, of course, we do not wish to interrupt your work…"

"Not at all, good travelers. It has been so long since we have had visitors to our sanctuary. But… about the dog…"

"She's a fox," Akiza spoke up, resting a hand on Chie's head. "I promise you, she is very well trained. She will behave herself."

Chie's head bobbed once almost as if in agreement, sitting proudly on her haunches and gazing across the room with keen little fox eyes. The priest bowed again and waved them in, and Zei immediately struck up a conversation with him about the architecture of the temple. Akiza slowly walked around the room, gazing curiously at the stone statues with her hands behind her back. She smiled as she crossed in front of a statue of her Knowledge Spirit friend, Wan Shi Tong, and she could have sworn the stone owl had winked at her. In front of a statue of a Forest Spirit called Hai-Bai was a basin of water, and looking into it, she saw her reflection for the first time in a week. She half expected her skin to be light brown from all the time she spent in the desert, but her complexion was still as creamy white as ever. She still had the green headband holding back her burgundy hair, but since coming south, she had changed from her desert outfit to a light green dress and a darker green shawl she had bought from a village seamstress. She carried her old clothes, along with her other supplies, in the pack Wan Shi Tong had given her.

With a sigh, Akiza turned from the basin and gazed up at the statue of Avatar Kyoshi. She had read a lot about Kyoshi in the Spirit Library, and as she looked up at her, she thought the 400 year old Avatar looked just as hard and unforgiving as ever, even with the colorful face paint and golden fans.

Akiza glanced back at Zei, who was still talking to the priest. If she was ever going to get an opportunity to connect with the Avatar, it would be now. Reaching out with her left hand, Akiza touched Kyoshi's statue and felt a strange tingling go through her fingers and up her arm. It reminded her of how she felt whenever she held one of her duel monsters back home, when she was about to activate her powers. She wasn't sure what to say to the statue, if anything, so instead she closed her eyes and kept silent, pressing her hand into the stone.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a sudden burning in her left arm caused her to cry out and remove her hand, and at the same time the temple was filled with the gasps and cries of the priests.

Akiza stared down at her burning arm and pulled up her sleeve. Her Mark of the Dragon was glowing again. A bright light above her caused her to look up. Avatar Kyoshi glaring down at her as formidably as ever, but now the eyes were glowing like two miniature suns. All around her, the eyes of the statues and the people in the mural were starting to glow as well.

Akiza knew what it was immediately: it was the Avatar's spirit. Something had happened to him and her friends.

* * *

Bruno sat at the edge of the Spirit Oasis, his legs crossed, his palms resting on his knees. Yue sat to his right, Arnook on his left, in the same position. Night had just fallen over the North Pole, and the two teens and the chief were beginning to meditate.

Bruno honestly didn't know what to do. Arnook had shown him how to meditate, but Bruno, being a scientist, did not believe it would do anything. For one, there was nothing wrong with Bruno, because he was faking the amnesia. Even if Bruno did have real amnesia this time, he didn't believe Spirits had any power over their lives. That was stuff for children, wasn't it?

Then again, he himself had witnessed the influence the Spirit World had on Luna back home. Not to mention everything the Crimson Dragon had done for his Signer friends…

Bruno got the idea so suddenly that he almost gasped out loud. Could he possibly meditate for his friends? Would the Spirits, if they did indeed exist, help him find them, or at least help him know where they are?

It was his only chance. With a resigned sigh, Bruno closed his eyes and focused on the meditation. He breathed in and out deeply through his nose, trying to focus his inner self as Arnook had taught him, trying to connect his Spirit to the world beyond, where the Moon and Ocean spirits hopefully existed.

_Please… please, Spirits, if you're there… if you can hear me… help me find my friends._

Bruno had the sudden urge to open his eyes. He did so and found himself gazing at the black and white koi fish in the pool in front of him. He watched the fish as they swam around each other, around and around and around….

_Push and pull…  
In and out…  
Life and death…  
Yin and Yang…_

All of a sudden, the fish were staring right at Bruno. Bruno never knew fish could stare, but there were were, the little black eyes boring into his soul. As he stared back at the fish like a snake at its charmer, the eyes and diamond symbols on the fishes' heads began to glow.

* * *

"What are we doing here, Azula?" Jack growled as he followed the Princess into the Fire Sage's temple, which was set on a mountain not far from Capitol City. The building was designed much like the ancient temples he knew of back in his time, but it was unnerving for the new firebender to see one that looked so new.

"To explain to you what your mission will be," Azula replied curtly. "And I suggest you temper your tongue, Jack. You may have learned to firebend, but that does not make you any better than when I found you."

Jack smirked at the princess. "You're upset about it, aren't you? I'm not stupid, you know. I know you didn't expect me to learn to firebend."

Azula growled, but didn't respond. She was still furious that Jack had managed what was supposed to have been impossible, but she kept reminding herself that it just meant she had gained more than she had bargained for. She was determined to keep Jack pressed beneath her thumb, and she had just the mission for him to do it.

The five Fire Sages bowed respectfully as the two firebenders passed, but Azula did not spare them a single glance. They followed her as she led Jack up through the temple to its topmost tower, where they were met with large, wooden double doors. Gold metal set into the door formed the shape of the Fire Nation Insignia, and at the base of the symbol were five metal dragon heads with red rubies for eyes. The heads were lined up in a row with the mouths open, and they were conjoined by their necks, which twisted around each other and melded together at the center of the two doors. Jack watched curiously as the Fire Sages stepped forward, lining up in front of him and Azula with their backs to them, facing the door. The sages each took a deep breath and thrust a fist forward, sending a five fire blasts simultaneously into the mouths of the dragons. There was a groan of creaking metal, and the dragons moved upward in an arc as the doors opened into a dark, mysterious chamber.

"Come," Azula ordered to Jack as the Sages stepped aside to let them pass. Jack hid his fear behind a mask of indifference as he followed the princess into the chamber.

"This is the Avatar Sanctuary," Azula told Jack. "And this is Avatar Roku."

Azula gestured to the golden statue standing against the opposite wall of the sanctuary, surrounded by wreaths of golden flame. Jack knew about the Avatar, of course, having taken it upon himself to do some research on this strange world's history back at the palace, but the statue still looked nothing more than old man with a big beard and long robes to him.

Something flashed at the corner of his eye, and Jack looked up to see a spot of red light on the wall near the statue. Following the ray of light, Jack saw a large red stone set in the wall above the door, through which the rays of the sun were shining to make the small light that had caught his attention.

"What's that light for?" Jack asked.

Azula glanced up at the light before turning back to the statue. "It's sunlight shining through the sun stone. The light will hit Roku's statue at the Solstice, and the Solstice is the time where the bridge between our world and the Spirit World is breeched. According to the old wives' tales, anyway. But that is not why I brought you here, Jack."

Jack glowered down at the princess. "Then please, enlighten me. Why did you bring me here?"

A small smile curled the corner of Azula's lip. "I assume you know of the Avatar's legacy, Jack. This Avatar was the last one known in existence, and he vanished a long time ago, before the war even started. It's been a hundred years since the Avatar walked the Earth, and few believe him to still be alive. There are some, however, who still believe he will return. My brother Zuko, for instance."

Jack's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "You have a brother?"

"Yes," Azula replied coldly. "An embarrassment to the family and a failure to his country, he was banished a couple of years ago for an act of treason against my father. He is under the crazy impression that if he can find the Avatar and present him to my father, he will be allowed to return home."

Jack frowned suspiciously. "Okay... And this has _what_ to do with me, exactly?"

Azula turned to face Jack, her eyes burning into his. "You have excelled much quicker than I had expected, Jack. I believe you to be ready to undertake a mission I have in mind for you. My brother must not be allowed to return to the Fire Nation. He would only get in the way and hinder the empire my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather have worked so hard to build. I want you to find him… and end him."

Jack took a step back, a cold chill settling in his stomach as his heart skipped a panicked beat. "You want me to _kill_ your brother?"

"You swore loyalty to me if you were to learn firebending, Jack," Azula reminded him, her voice sharp as a knife. "This is your chance to prove it. I am willing to do what I must to protect my country, and since I cannot go and hunt him down myself, you must do it for me. Remember what will happen to you if you turn against me."

Azula's hands, resting calmly at her sides, suddenly burst into blue flame. Jack gulped. "What if your brother finds the Avatar?"

"Oh, don't make me laugh," Azula snorted. "The Avatar is dead. His mission of futile and desperate. I'm not even sure if he's still alive; he's been gone for over two years. But Jack," she added, putting out her hands and resting one of them on Jack's shoulder, "I need to ensure the protection of my nation. Zuko is nothing but a burden and a liability. We must choke out the weed before it has a chance to sprout. You must find Zuko and make sure he can never return."

Jack opened his mouth to protest some more, to firmly declare that he was not an assassin and this was not what he had signed up for, but before he could, a sudden burst of blinding light from Roku's statue knocked both him and the princess off their feet, throwing them back against the door. Jack cried out and heard Azula grunt as they hit the floor. Holding a hand in front of his eyes and squinting, Jack sat up and saw that Roku's eyes were glowing, lighting the entire room like a beacon.

"What is this, Azula?" Jack shouted over the powerful hum of the light. "What's happening?"

"This… is impossible!" the princess hissed. "It can't be…"

"Princess Azula!" an elderly voice cried over a sudden shriek of metal, and Jack turned to see two of the Fire Sages standing outside the now-open door to the sanctuary. "What has happened?"

"Roku's statue is glowing!" Azula replied, obviously thunderstruck. "What does this mean?"

The two sages, one still standing in the corridor, merely stared at the glowing light in shock and fear. "It means we are all in great danger, Your Highness," the first sage finally croaked before turning to his companion. "Send word to the Fire Lord immediately. The Avatar has returned!"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	15. The Southern Air Temple Part 6

**A/N**: I am so, so, so, so sorry this took so long to update, guys! I've been very busy with college and work stuff lately, and even though I've been writing chapters here and there, I don't have too much time to update. Midterms are almost over so it will hopefully slow down soon, and thanksgiving break is coming up soon as well. I hope you can forgive me enough to enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

"Where is he?" Yusei asked Elodie as they ran with Katara through the Air Temple. They knew the statues in the sanctuary were glowing because Aang was in trouble, and Elodie, because her powers seemed to have miraculously returned, could sense his Avatar spirit through the pounding in her head.

"Bones…" Elodie muttered, her eyes slightly crossed as her body shuddered from pain. "Firebenders… Gyatso…. Sokka… Crow … stairs!"

Elodie was having trouble focusing. She had been so out of touch with her powers, they hurt twice as much as they normally did. She was biting her lip to keep from screaming. She could see exactly what was happening to Aang, feel his despair and fury at the Fire Nation, and hear Crow and Sokka shouting, all together echoing in her head. Yusei was half-carrying her as he and Katara ran down the corridor to a small balcony, to the side of which was a set of stairs. Looking over the railing in the direction of the stairs, Yusei and Katara saw a small, dilapidated building further down the mountain surrounded by a roaring wind. In the center of the building, beneath the torn and ragged curtains that formed the roof of the grotto, they could see a small, incandescent blue glow…

"That's gotta be Aang!" Katara cried.

"Stairs…" Elodie groaned again and clutched her head tighter, curling in on herself as if trying to hide from an outward force. "Pain… anger…. _Aang, snap out of it!"_

Yusei grabbed Elodie by the shoulders and followed Katara down the stairs, running as quickly as he could while supporting Elodie and trying to deal with the pain in his own arm. His mark was burning like it hadn't since the Dark Signers, and he could sense his fellow Signers in pain as well, Crow being the most prominent since he was closest.

The trio had just reached the bottom of the stair when the roof of the grotto suddenly exploded, the tattered rags disintegrating in the burst of energy and wind as crumbling parts of the walls were blasted into the air. Katara cried out and held her arms up as Yusei shielded Elodie from the falling debris. The wind hit them with the force of an avalanche, nearly throwing the three of them off balance. Yusei heard Sokka and Crow yell and looked up just in time to see them both come hurtling over the diminished walls of the grotto. Aang was just barely visible inside the building, his eyes and tattoos glowing as a sphere of wind surrounded him. Crow and Sokka each grabbed a section of the wall to use as an anchor, and Katara, Yusei, and Elodie both struggled against the roaring wind to reach them.

"What happened?" Katara yelled.

"He found out firebenders killed Gyatso!" Sokka shouted in reply.

"Oh no, it's his avatar spirit! He must have triggered it!" Katara realized. She looked over at his friends and yelled, "I'm gonna try and calm him down!"

**"**Well, do it!" Sokka yelled, his voice cracking in fear as the wind picked his feet up and nearly tore him off the wall. "Before he blows us off the mountain!"

"Be careful, Katara!" Yusei shouted as the water tribe girl pulled herself forward and slowly advanced toward Aang, keeping her hands in front of her face to block the wind. She had barely taken a couple of steps, however, when the wind suddenly gusted to an even higher speed and forced her back, nearly knocking her down. Crow caught her and managed to pull her to the safety of his part of the wall just as Aang began rising into the air, his clothes swirling around him, his face expressionless as his eyes glowed with the power of thousands of Avatars before him.

"It's no use!" Katara screamed. "He's too powerful!"

"We have to do something!" Yusei exclaimed, hanging tightly onto Elodie as he hung onto the wall with Sokka.

"What can we do?" Sokka cried.

_"Katara!"_ Elodie suddenly shouted, opening her eyes and staring through her pain at the waterbender. "You have to talk to him, try and get him to snap out of it!"

"What?" Katara yelled back. "What good will that do?"

"He'll listen to you!" Elodie responded. "You understand his grief! You need to talk him out of his pain and rage!"

"Crow!" cried Sokka suddenly. "Can't you use your airbending to diminish the wind?"

Crow peered through the hurricane whipping around him and tried to gage the situation. "Not for very long," he shouted in reply, "but I think I can buy us a little bit of time!"

Pulling himself forward, Crow released the wall and forced himself a few steps forward. He could feel the wind pushing him back, causing his feet to slide over the rocky earth. Crow stopped when he knew he could go no further and, leaning into the wind, slowly brought his hands out in front of him, pressing them palm-to-palm, his arms out full length. Crow forced the wind to blow around him rather than at him, using his arms as a wedge to part the air around him, not diminishing the wind but reducing it just enough that the others could keep standing.

"I can't hold it forever!" Crow shouted back, groaning and shouting from the effort.

"Do it, Katara!" Elodie screamed. _"Now!"_

Katara pulled herself forward on the rock and looked up at the powerful being above her. "Aang, I know you're upset, and I know how hard it is to lose the people you love! I went through the same thing when I lost my mom." She looked away for a moment, the pain from her own loss throbbing in her heart, but she forced it down and continued to address Aang. "Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family. Yusei, Crow, Elodie, Sokka and I! We're your family now!"

"That's right, Aang!" Yusei joined in. "We all know what you're going through. Crow, Elodie, and I are all orphans, but we find strength and unity in each other! You can find that same peace with us as well!"

"The Fire Nation may have taken your loved ones," Elodie shouted, "but you're not alone!"

"C'mon, Aang!" Crow chimed in. "Looking out for each other is what families do! We're here for you, man!"

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, very slowly, Aang began to descend back to earth, the wind dying with his descent. Elodie sighed as her headache began to ease up, and Yusei and Crow's marks diminished to a slight glow. Crow released the wind and fell to one knee with a groan, and the others gathered around him as Aang's feet touched the ground, and the wind died completely, leaving the Avatar standing alone in the middle of the destroyed grotto, his eyes and tattoos still glowing. The group slowly approached him, Katara, Crow, and Elodie on one side, Yusei and Sokka on the other.

"We aren't going to let anything happen to you, Aang" Sokka said gently, an uncharacteristically kind smile on his face. "Promise."

Katara silently reached out and took Aang's hand, squeezing it comfortingly. Immediately, the glowing in Aang's eyes and tattoos faded, grief and exhaustion evident on his face as he collapsed against Katara. She kneeled on the ground and supported him, one arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Aang said solemnly, closing his eyes to hold back tears.

"It's okay," said Katara gently. "It wasn't your fault."

"But you were right," Aang muttered despairingly, opening his eyes again to look up at her. "And if firebenders found this temple, that means they found the other ones, too."

The group had never seen anyone as sad and grief-stricken as Aang was when he closed his eyes again and murmured, "I really am the last airbender."

Elodie looked up at Crow, but they both knew that Aang was right: though Crow had managed to gain the ability to bend air and had studied the monks' way of living, he was not born an Air Nomad or an airbender. If anything, Crow was a replacement, which would never be anything close to the true airbenders who lived a century ago. Aang truly was the last of his kind, which was something none of them had ever experienced.

Wordlessly, Katara wrapped her other arm around Aang and squeezed him tightly against her in a comforting embrace. Elodie walked around and knelt down in front of Aang, taking one of his hands into her own as tears of sympathy filled her own eyes. Crow knelt down next to her, wrapping an arm around her, and Yusei rested a hand on Katara's shoulder as Sokka did the same on Aang. In that moment, Yusei, Crow, and Elodie forgot all their worries about finding their missing friends, surviving in this strange time, and keeping their true home a secret. Katara and Sokka forgot about their concerns for their tribe and the journey ahead of them. In that moment, they were all joined together for one cause: comforting their grieving friend.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	16. The Southern Air Temple Part 7

"This is a mess, guys," Crow murmured to Yusei and Elodie. "We've had our share of trouble back home, but this is_ insane._"

The three of them were off in another part of the temple, away from Katara, Sokka, and Aang. Yusei and Elodie had just finished telling Crow their different stories about what had happened to them since their separation, and Crow had fully explained his. They had told Katara, Sokka, and Aang that they were going to look for supplies to take with them on their journey so they could steal some time to talk in private. Aang was doing considerably better since the discovery of Gyatso's skeleton, and they were ready to continue their journey.

The question was should Yusei, Crow, and Elodie go with them?

"We know it is, Crow," Yusei agreed, "but it is what it is, and I think staying behind and abandoning Aang now would be a mistake."

"If we stay with them, they're going to figure out that something's wrong," Elodie pressed. "Sokka especially is watching us like a hawk. We're not going to be able to keep our shipwreck story up for very long?"

"I gotta say, Yusei, I'm inclined to agree with Elodie," said Crow, "but I also agree with you about not leaving Aang. There's a reason why our marks keep reacting whenever his Avatar spirit goes wacko, and there's a reason why Elodie can feel his aura when she can't feel anyone else's. Maybe he's the reason that we were brought here in the first place."

Elodie huffed irritably. "The only reason we're here, Crow, is because Yusei and Bruno's time machine decided to spit us out here. I'm not saying it's your fault, Yusei," Elodie added, "but I think our main focus needs to be finding the others and getting out of this place as soon as possible."

"But we can't find the others without Aang, Katara, and Sokka's help," Yusei insisted. "Not only do they have Appa, but they have knowledge of this world, which is something we need even more desperately than transportation. We can't do this alone."

"But what if we find someone in the North Pole?" Elodie demanded. "Or even in the Fire Nation, Yami forbid? That's going to be a bit hard to skate over, Yusei! I'd much rather part ways now than have to deal with complicated questions later."

"Part ways how, exactly?" Yusei asked. "The only form of transportation we have other than walking is Crow's glider, and the only maps we have of this world are over a hundred years old. We have no resources."

"Elodie," Crow said gently, "I know our situation is complicated, and I know you especially hate this place, but don't you think Aang might need us? He woke up from being frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years to find the world that he's destined to save devastated by war. And on top of that, he just discovered he's the last of his kind."

"Not quite the last, apparently," Yusei jumped in, looking back at Crow. "Sorry to change the subject, but I have to know: how did you acquire the ability to airbend, Crow?"

Crow shrugged. "I dunno. At first I was just messing around with some scrolls that I found in one of the towers. You guys know how much I like the thought of flying. I was just copying the moves and instructions. Then a couple of days ago… it just happened. The next thing I knew I was flying around on gliders and sending gusts of wind in every direction…. I don't know how it happened. It just did."

Yusei suddenly remembered what Aang had said when Katara asked him how he had bent the water on Zuko's ship: _I don't know. I just sort of… did it._

"Do you think the rest of us could learn how to bend?" he wondered out loud.

"I hope not!" Elodie exclaimed. "I don't want to wake up in the morning to find myself breathing fire or spinning twisters or maelstroms in my hands."

"Okay, let's forget the whole bending thing and get back to the situation on hand," Crow suggested. "In all honestly, I think we should try telling the others the truth."

Elodie stared at him in shock. "Crow, these people don't even have electricity. The idea of a machine that can transcend time will be _beyond_ insane for them. There's no way they would be able to_ conceive _the truth, let alone believe it!"

"Oh yeah?" an angry voice suddenly spoke from behind them. "Try us."

Yusei, Elodie, and Crow whirled around as Sokka, followed by Katara and Aang, came out from behind a nearby pillar, their expressions hard. Crow gulped loudly as Elodie's and Yusei's faces paled. They all faced one another, trio to trio, neither side knowing what to say to the other.

Finally, Crow broke the silence with an uncomfortable cough. "Uh… this is awkward," he muttered.

"What's more awkward, Crow?" Sokka demanded with his arms folded tight across his chest. "The fact that you've been caught red-handed lying to us, or the fact of the lie itself?"

"Like you would have believed us if we'd told you the truth," Elodie snapped defensively.

"How much did you guys hear?" asked Yusei.

"We heard enough," Aang replied. There was a deep frown on his face, but he seemed more bemused than angry. "But now we want to hear the whole story."

"Where do you guys really come from?" Katara asked, her expression a little angrier Aang's, but with more concern and suspicion. "Who are you?"

The time-travelling trio exchanged looks. Elodie's had an "I told you so" expression on her face, whereas Crow looked a little more guilty and resigned. Finally, Yusei sighed and turned back to face his friends. "Alright. We'll tell you the truth. But it's going to sound crazy. You probably won't believe it."

"We'll do our best," Aang replied, sitting cross-legged on the ground and looking attentively up at Yusei. The rest of the group followed suit. Yusei looked back to Elodie and Crow for support, and then, with a deep breath, he dove into the story.

* * *

"What did the Spirits show you, Bruno?" Yue asked in a hushed tone. "A memory?"

"Not quite a memory," Bruno replied without looking at her. "More like… a vision, I think."

"But there were people you remember in this vision?"

"Yes."

The two teens, as well as Chief Arnook, were back in Madam Yugoda's hut. Bruno was sitting on the stone table with Yue next to him, and the old healer was behind him, working water around the back of his head. This time the healing water felt rather soothing, as Bruno had a pounding headache, but it did not hold back the barrage of images the Moon and Ocean spirits had impressed upon him back in that pool. He distinctly saw Yusei, Jack, and Crow, as well as two teens who must have been members of the Water Tribe and a strange boy dressed in yellow and orange with eyes and arrow-shaped tattoos glowing incandescent blue. He remembered frightened cries and high-pitched winds, towers and balconies and buildings on top of a mountain covered in clouds, Yusei and Crow dressed as Water Tribe members and Crow dressed in the same clothes as the glowing boy… and rage. He remembered a definite, indescribable pain and rage and fear.

And he remembered a name: Avatar Aang. The name of the glowing boy. But what kind of name was Avatar Aang? Was Avatar his name, or was it just a title? The only avatar he knew of was the kind sponsored on video games and internet sites back home, and he doubted there were any of those in this time. What did Avatar mean here?

"This is a wonderful breakthrough!" Chief Arnook proclaimed eagerly. "We are a step closer to figuring out your past, Bruno! What did you see in this vision of yours? Do you remember?"

"Please, Father," Yue hushed, resting a hand on top of Bruno's. "He was passed out for a long time after his vision and he only just woke up. He needs some time to think."

Bruno's heart skipped a beat at Yue's thoughtfulness, as well as her hand upon his. He was grateful that she had silence her father, because she was right: he did need time to think. He had to think about how we would answer the chief's question in such a way that he still appeared to be under amnesia, but still got the help he needed. He needed to choose his words carefully.

"I saw…" he began hesitantly… "I saw six people. I know three of them. The other three were strangers."

"Who are the three you know?" Arnook asked. "Friends? Family?"

"I think they were friends," Bruno replied, trying to keep himself sullen and uncertain. In total honesty, Bruno was practically jumping out of his skin with excitement. At least he now knew that some of the others were at least alive. "I think… I think I got separated from them somehow… but I don't remember…"

_Nope. I don't remember building a faulty time machine that sent me and my friends thousands of years into the past and split us up all across the world. Nothing clicking there._

"That's alright, Bruno," Yue said soothingly, moving her hand to rest on Bruno's shoulder. He felt a slight chill run through him at her touch again. "Just try to focus on what you know. What do your friends look like? What nation are they from?"

"I'm not sure. Two of them were dressed like they were from the Water Tribe, but the third was wearing yellow and orange."

"Yellow and orange?" Yue repeated, giving her father a puzzled look. "It couldn't be Fire Nation, could it?"

"I don't believe so," Arnook replied, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Fire nation is more red and brown and black. I can't think of a nation that sports orange and yellow…"

"I'm sure we'll figure it out later," Yue said assuredly, looking at Bruno as though she didn't want to disappoint him. "But two of them are Water Tribe, that's good. Someone in our tribe?"

"I don't think they were in the North Pole," Bruno answered. "There were a lot of stone towers and terraces… and it was way up in the mountains…"

"In the mountains?" Arnook exclaimed. "That's strange. The only settlements in the mountains I can think of are the abandoned Air Temples, but they haven't been inhabited in a hundred years."

"Why not?" Bruno asked with a frown.

"The Fire Nation wiped out the Air Nomads when the war started," Yue explained gently. "No one has seen or heard from an airbender since."

"Why would they do that?" Bruno asked in alarm, for once not having to pretend to be confused.

"They wanted to destroy the Avatar," Arnook replied grimly. "And by the looks of the last hundred years, they succeeded."

Bruno jumped so violently, Madam Yugoda almost lost control of her healing water. "The Avatar? I think I saw him in my vision too!"

"What do you mean, Bruno?" Madam Yugoda asked sharply as Arnook's and Yue's jaws dropped.

"There were three other people in my vision I didn't know," Bruno explained. "Two of them were water tribe as well, but the third was dressed in the same yellow and orange clothes as my friend, and he had these arrow-shaped tattoos that were glowing and his eyes were glowing just like the fish in the Spirit Oasis were. I've never seen this boy before, but I distinctly remember a name: Avatar Aang. And I think he was angry about… about something… and there was all this wind…"

Arnook's face was very pale. Yue's hand had tightened on Bruno's shoulder, and when he trailed off she turned to her father, her crystal blue eyes wide with shock and wonder. "Father… you don't think…"

The group suddenly heard pounding footsteps and heavy breaths, and they turned just as an old man rushed into the hut, obviously panicked. The man was tall and lean, his balding hair down below his shoulders and white as snow, as was his long catfish whisker-like mustache. Bruno had only been introduced to him once, but he found that he still remembered his name: Pakku.

"Master Pakku," Arnook said in surprise as the old man staggered into the hut.

"Chief Arnook," Pakku gasped. "We've been looking for you everywhere. The tribe is in an uproar. The mages received a sign at the temple just a few hours ago."

"What kind of sign?" Arnook demanded as Yue stood and Yugoda let her healing water fall back into her bowl.

"The tower lit up," Pakku explained, eyes wide. "It hasn't done so in a hundred years. The only thing that could cause it to glow is…"

"The Avatar," Arnook said in a whisper, stepping back and sitting hard on the table next to Bruno. The old chief placed a hand over his forehead and stared in shock at the icy ground. "So it's true. The Avatar has returned."

* * *

"… And then we found Crow when we came here," Yusei finished. "Akiza, Jack, and Bruno are still out there somewhere. We have no idea where, but because of the connection through our Marks we know they are at least alive. We think the time machine must have dropped us in different parts of the world, and we believe the Avatar is the key to finding them again."

Dusk was closing in on the temple as Yusei, Crow, and Elodie finished telling their story. Aang and the Water Tribe siblings had all listened very attentively, not saying anything or interrupting accept for the occasional question or clarifying statement. Their expressions never changed from the stony disbelief that had overcome them when Yusei announced they were from thousands of years in the future. As Elodie had predicted, the thought of time travel was barely comprehensible to them.

"So that's the truth, you guys," Elodie declared with a wave of her hand. "Do you still wish we would have told you?"

Katara looked over at her brother, whose mouth was hanging wide open, and gentle tipped his jaw back into place with her finger. The warrior shook his head rapidly before replying, "In all honesty, I think the shipwreck story was more plausible."

"We understand if you guys don't believe us," Crow said with a sigh as he fingered his staff, which was sitting in his lap. "That's the only reason we didn't tell the truth in the first place: we knew you wouldn't believe the truth."

Sokka looked Yusei, Elodie, and Crow each in the eye and said, "I didn't say I didn't believe it. I just said I liked your shipwreck story better."

Now it was Elodie's turn to drop her jaw in shock. "You mean you actually _believe_ us?"

"Only begrudgingly," Sokka replied grumpily. "In all honesty, bits of it make sense. At least it explains how Yusei got in the South Pole while Crow was here in the temple. The only things I'm having trouble believing is that you were a _psychic,"_ he added, narrowing his eyes at Elodie before turning to Yusei and Crow, "and that you two have magical glowing tattoos like Aang's."

"I believe it," Katara jumped in. "Sokka, when Aang's Avatar spirit activated, Elodie was able to tell us exactly where you were despite the splitting headache she was having. And she was muttering about what was happening to Aang even though we couldn't see it."

"As for the Marks…" Crow looked over at Yusei, and both of them rolled up their sleeves and showed Sokka the Crimson Dragon signs etched in their skin. "These kind of speak for themselves. They aren't quite like Aang's tattoos, but they seem to glow at the same time Aang does. So if Aang wants to go Avatar again, then we can prove that they glow too."

"I think I'll pass," Aang said with a small smile. Then he looked at them all thoughtfully. "So, what happens now?"

"That's up to you guys," Yusei said, pulling his sleeve back down and looking at Sokka, Katara, and Aang expectantly. "We could really use your help, but we're not going to force ourselves on you if you think we're crazy or dangerous. Just as long as you know we're not your enemies, because we really do want to help you as long as we're here."

"What do you mean, as long as you're here?" Katara asked in alarm. "Are you guys leaving?"

"We're not entirely sure," Crow grimly replied. "It's an accident that we're here in the first place. We have no idea how to get back, if we even can, so until we find the others and figure out how to get home, we plan to act as though we're hanging out for a while."

Elodie looked away, trying to hide her disappointment and despair, but Aang caught the movement. "Crow said that you hated this time, Elodie," the young airbender spoke, watching Elodie with curious concern. "Why?"

Elodie sighed, knowing she was caught, and replied, "It's just been kind of hard for me, Aang. I was never prepared for this sort of thing, and there are few things I hate more than being caught off guard. Plus, not having the ability to sense everything around me…" Elodie hugged herself and shuddered. "It leaves me feeling extremely ignorant and vulnerable, which _is _something I hate more than being caught off guard. I hate feeling and appearing weak."

Katara gazed at Elodie sympathetically. "Elodie, I hope you know none of us think you're weak. In fact, now that I know a little bit of what you've been through, I can't believe you've held up for so long. Especially with the Fire Nation. You're probably one of the strongest people I've ever met."

Elodie gave Katara a small, but warm smile, since the lump in her throat was keeping her from expressing her gratitude. Katara smiled back as a mutual understanding bloomed between them.

"I think the same as Katara with all three of you," Aang remarked with his own happy smile. "And I would be more than happy if you guys continued travelling with us. It's like Katara said earlier: we're a family now."

"And I stand by that," Katara agreed. She turned to her brother. "Sokka?"

Sokka was still studying the three of them, but his expression had softened and become less unforgiving. "I think I could live with you guys for a few more weeks," he finally said with a small smirk. "As long as we're in agreement that we'll be honest with each other from here on out."

"Most definitely," Yusei agreed enthusiastically as all six of them stood up. "Thank you guys so much for understanding and believing us!"

Sokka reached out and grasped forearms with Yusei, saying, "We're glad to have you guys on the team. Now let's get out of here and find something to eat!"


	17. Bridge

**A/N:** I'm very, very sorry it took so long to update, everyone! I kind of got stumped on how to go further with this next bit, and then of course my next semester of college has started again so I'm busy as heck with schoolwork. Since today is a no school day, with it being Martin Luther King Jr. day and everything, I've got new chapters for all of my current stories. Since this is the one that hasn't been updated for the longest, I'm updating this one first. I hope you all can forgive me for taking so long! Please enjoy!

* * *

The new family of six decided to make camp at the edge of the Batola Mountains, near the coastline on a beach. After a small supper of fruit and nuts, the gang found the smoothest area on the beach they could, cleared out some of the rocks, and bedded down for the night. Aang was snuggled up in his sleeping bison's fur. His new pet, Crow's lemur friend now christened Momo, was curled up next to him. Sokka and Katara slept on either side of the bison on the ground in their sleeping bags, the former snoring so loud it was a shock anyone could sleep. Next to Sokka was Crow, who was just sleeping on the grass, and next to Katara was Yusei. In between the two boys lay Elodie, wrapped in blankets that had been found in the Air Temple. She was the only one awake.

It wasn't like she didn't want to sleep – after the day they had just endured, there was nothing more she wanted that sleep– but every time she closed her eyes, a vast emptiness and fear threatened to overwhelm her so much that she had to open her eyes again.

Maybe there _was _something more she wanted.

She had told Aang back at the temple that without her powers, she felt naive and vulnerable. The thing she had purposefully not mentioned was how _alone_ she felt without her powers. With her powers, it had occasionally been an annoyance and an inconvenience to constantly feel the presence of other people, and now she would have given anything to have that companionship back. At least back on Zuko's ship, there had been the exhausting training and the whirring of the engine to lull her to sleep. Out here, without her powers or any sort of noise, she felt like the only living thing on the planet, and though the sensible half of her brain insisted that was ludicrous, the other half remained unconvinced.

Elodie had always known she could do anything and everything on her own. She was okay with being by herself, and her years in Satellite had made her accustomed to seclusion. In fact, most of the time she _liked_ being alone. But with that feeling came the constant fear of being alone forever, a fear she had never known she had until this point. And now that she knew it existed, it was terrifying to her.

After tossing and turning for what felt like hours, Elodie sat up on her elbows and gazed around at her friends. She knew they were all there. She could see their silhouettes against the starlight. She could hear their breathing and, in Sokka's case, snoring. There were all next to her, five human beings and two domestic creatures. She wasn't alone. _She was not alone._

Then why did she feel that way?

"Elodie?"

Elodie jumped at the sound of Crow's voice, almost giving herself a whiplash as she whirled around to look at him. He was laying on his side right next to her, propped up on one elbow, his soft gray eyes full of concern and care. "Sorry," he apologized upon seeing the alarm on her face. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Elodie groaned and fell back to the ground, draping one arm across her eyes. Normally, she wouldn't have been scared. Normally, she would have sensed that he was awake. But here, in this cursed time, nothing was as it should be. "It's fine. What are you doing awake?"

"I heard you moving around. You seem distressed."

"I'm not distressed," Elodie grumbled. "Just restless, is all."

"You really should know better than to lie to me, El. I know you too well for that."

Elodie said nothing, nor did she look back at Crow, who she knew was still staring at her, watching her expression for any sort of change or hint. She gave him nothing. She was sick of being doted on and pitied for her condition, and she wasn't going to have it anymore. From now on, she was going to be strong.

But of course, Crow saw right through it all. He knew all too well that Elodie's poker face showed more expression than any amount of tears could. "It's your powers, isn't it?" he said understandingly. "Or your lack of, I should say. You feel empty and alone without them."

Elodie closed her eyes, still fighting with all her might against the feelings tormenting her. "You really do know me too well," she complained quietly.

Crow said nothing. Elodie couldn't stand not knowing what he was feeling. She opened her eyes to look at him, and though Crow was gazing at her with a face full of understanding, she didn't see any pity. Crow was never one to pity, because he was always helping to shoulder the pain. With him, no one he cared about would ever go through anything alone, because he always felt the burdens of his friends just as intensely as he felt his own. There was never pity; just empathy. That was how Crow was, and that was something Elodie had always appreciated about him.

Still not saying a word, Crow began to scoot himself forward until he was right next to Elodie, and then he opened his arms to her. Elodie barely hesitated a moment moving into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder and one hand on his chest, directly over his heart. As Crow's arms encircled her, she realized that the physical feel of his presence, his warmth and the beat of his heart beneath her hand, worked just as well as her powers did back in their real time. In Crow's arms, she would not feel alone for the rest of the night.

"I'm so glad we found you," Elodie whispered, her voice tightening with emotion. "Before, I thought everyone had died…"

"I know," Crow murmured softly, running his hand through her hair. "I did too. It was terrifying. But the nightmare is over now, El. I'm here, Yusei's here, and we're going to find the others soon. Then together, we'll find a way home. But right now, how about we focus on getting through tonight, hm?"

Elodie sighed and murmured, "Okay." But though she closed her eyes, relaxed her muscles, and let her breathing fall in time with the steady rise and fall of Crow's chest, she didn't want to fall asleep. She wanted to enjoy the feel of him next to her for a little while longer before succumbing to her exhaustion.

* * *

"So you're saying that the Avatar is still _alive?_" Professor Zei asked incredulously.

"Yes," Akiza replied, gazing out over the mountains. "I'm certain of it. And my missing friends are with him."

Zei, Akiza, and Chie were camped out in the mountains near the Earth Kingdom temple. Zei had built a blazing fire and was cooking strips of meat over it, and Chie was already chowing down on a raw piece, but Akiza wasn't feeling much like eating. She sat facing the temple, gazing up at the starry night sky, a thick blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She knew Yusei, Crow, and Elodie were with the Avatar because of what she felt in her Mark. Because of the information she got from Wan Shi Tong, Akiza knew Crow had been in the Batola Mountains, Yusei in the South Pole, and Elodie somewhere between the two. The three of them had to be together somewhere, here in the south. But where? The South Pole, or the Batola mountains?

"How far away is the Batola Mountain Range, Professor?" Akiza asked.

"It's to the east of these mountains," Zei replied. "It'd take about a week of hiking to get to the edge of the range."

"Are there any settlements in those mountains?"

"Well, there's the old Air Temple, deep in the heart of the mountain range, but it's been deserted for a hundred years."

Akiza breathed in sharply. Of course, the Air Temple! If the Avatar was an air nomad, he would want to go back to his past settlements. Yusei, Crow, and Elodie must have figured out they needed the Avatar's help and gone with him!

Akiza stood and walked back to the fire. "Professor Zei, I believe the Avatar and my friends are in that temple. We have to go there!"

Professor Zei looked up from the fire in surprise. "To the Southern Air Temple?! I'm very sorry, dear Akiza, but that is not possible. No one knows the exact location of the old temple, and even if we did, there is no way of getting inside! There is a reason only Air Nomads could get in and out of the place."

"There has to be some way to get in! The Fire Nation attacked them and wiped out all the people who lived there, didn't they?"

"Yes, but that was a hundred years ago! I don't even know if the Fire Nation ever recorded details about the battle. It was meant to be a surprise attack. No one in the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribes knew about it until it happened. This genocide was what started this war! No one dares to go near those temples now, not with all the bad history and death that's happened there."

Akiza bit her lip. She had to get to that temple before her friends left, but she knew she couldn't do it without Professor Zei's help. There had to be a way to convince him to go!

"Well, that's really a shame," she said sadly. "To think such a large part of history and architecture should lost from the world… I bet it's fantastic, don't you think, professor?"

She had caught him at his weak spot. Professor Zei was a keen searcher for lost knowledge and civilizations. From her discussions with him, she knew he had a particular fondness for the history of the air nomads. Akiza saw an eager glint enter the professor's eyes as he scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, that is very true… so much of Air Nomad culture has been lost, and it would be a magnificent place to dig up some research… but like I said, entering the temple is impossible to everyone but an Air Nomad, and if the Fire Nation does still know the way in, they never disclosed it to the rest of the world. We couldn't go there even if we wanted to."

Akiza suddenly remembered something. Hurrying to wear her pack was by the fire, she knelt down and pulled out all the scrolls she had taken with her from Wan Shi Tong's library. After several moments of frantic searching through the rolls of aged parchment, she finally found the scroll she was looking for.

"I was a detailed map to all the Air Temples right here on this scroll, professor!" she said eagerly, holding up the ancient text for the astonished professor to read. "It tells the exact location of each temple and how a non-Air Bender might get inside!"

Zei took the parchment and scanned it slowly, his aghast expression become more and more incredulous with every word that passed over his eyes. "This-I-how-what-I can't- this in-impossible!" Zei stammered, looking up at Akiza. "How did you come across such a treasure?"

"It was written by a world traveler from the Fire Nation not long after the war began," Akiza said, partially avoiding Zei's question. She trusted the anthropologist dearly, but she did not want to reveal Wan Shi Tong's secret. She knew the knowledge spirit wanted his library to be kept safe from the influences of those who wanted to use his books for wicked deeds, and she respecting his wishes. "I think it's the only record in existence."

"This is incredible, Akiza!" Zei exclaimed. "This map is the key to unlocking thousands of years of lost history!"

"So we're going to the Air Temple?" Akiza asked hopefully.

"Definitely!" Zei replied enthusiastically. "However, there are many preparations we will have to make. As we are now, we don't have nearly enough supplies to make it halfway to the temple."

Akiza's heart sunk. "Is there a settlement nearby where we can get supplies?" she asked anxiously.

Zei nodded, "Of course there is, don't worry. In fact, the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu is only a few days journey from here. If we start first thing in the morning, we will make it there in less than three days' time. I've heard the king of Omashu is quite generous, and I'm sure if we get an audience with him and explain the purpose of our journey, he will grant us the supplies we need."

Akiza felt anxiety tug at her heart. She had no idea how long the Avatar and her friends would stay in the Air Temple. For all she knew, they could already be gone. If Zei's plans were really the only option they had, it would take almost two weeks to reach the temple. Would her friends really stay there that long?

Chie sensed her master's worry and gave a comforting whine, licking the back of the red-haired traveler's hand. Akiza smiled down at the little fox gratefully and tried to think positively: even if she did miss her friends, maybe she could at least find some kind of a clue as to where they were going next. At the moment, this was the only hope she had.

"That sounds good to me!" she told the eager professor.

"That settles it, then!" he declared, rolling up the scroll and holding it up over his head excitedly. "Tomorrow, we head to Omashu!"


	18. The Warriors of Kyoshi Part 1

**The Warriors of Kyoshi**

The sun had already risen clear over the horizon by the time Crow woke up to a shadow looming over him. For a second he squeezed his eyes tightly, resisting having to wake up, but finally he opened his eyes to see Sokka standing over him, his arms crossed over his chest and a wide smirk over his face.

"S'it time to go?" Crow muttered, squinting through the veil of sleep still covering his eyes.

"It sure is, pal," Sokka replied, laughter evident in his voice. "So if you could untangle yourself from your girlfriend there and help us pack up, that would be great."

Crow gave a small start at the water tribe boy's remark. Looking down, he realized he still had his arms around Elodie, but she had turned in the night so her back was against Crow's chest, and one of his arms was wrapped tight around her waist as they both used his other arm as a pillow. She was still fast asleep, her breathing calm and even, looking more at peace than Crow had seen in a while. Despite Sokka's mocking, Crow felt a smile light up his face and his drowsiness left him.

As Sokka walked back to where the others were just beginning to stir, Crow gently pulled his arm from around Elodie's waist and shook her shoulder. "Hey, El, it's morning. Rise and shine."

Elodie hummed and squirmed once before opening her eyes and turning on her back to look up at Crow. "G'morning," she muttered with a yawn, rubbing her eye with her knuckles blearily.

"Morning," Crow chuckled. "It's time to go."

Yusei was rolling up his sleeping bag as Crow stood and helped Elodie to her feet. "You both looked like you slept well," he said cheerfully as he swung his pack over his shoulder, a knowing smile on his face.

"I think you shouldn't hang around Sokka so much," Elodie grumbled, her face turning pink. "He's starting to rub off on you."

"Any idea where Aang is taking us, Yus'?" Crow asked as he gathered some blankets and the trio headed over to Appa.

"He mentioned something about a crescent shaped island. That's all I know, though; I have no idea what we're going to be doing there."

"Do you think any of the others will be on the island?" asked Elodie.

"I don't know, Elodie. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

* * *

Jack was getting anxious.

Azula had hardly spoken a word to him since the incident in the Avatar Sanctuary at the Fire Temple. Of course Jack knew how serious it was that the Avatar had returned, but he was more concerned about the mission Azula had assigned to him beforehand. Jack was more than willing to go out and knock some heads for her and flex his firebending muscles, but it was quite another matter to be asked to assassinate the prince of the Fire Nation, let alone Azula's older brother. Murder was one line Jack would not cross, no matter how much Azula threatened him.

Jack was also more concerned than ever about his other friends. Azula was so busy paying attention to Roku's statue, she had not noticed Jack's Dragon mark burning the same shade of crimson red as the beacon in the temple. But Jack had noticed it, and felt its pain clear as day. What did this mean for his friends? Why was he feeling its burn now, of all times? Had something happened to them? Did the Avatar have anything to do with it?

Jack was sitting on the bed in the palace guest bedroom he had been given, pondering these thoughts, when the door suddenly burst open. Jack turned and got to his feet as Princess Azula herself strode into his room, her expression full of such ferocity and determination that Jack inwardly shuddered.

"The situation is as bad as we had feared," she said without greeting or preamble. "The Avatar is indeed alive and has returned to our world."

"I am aware of the fact, Azula," Jack replied, just barely keeping his irritation from leaving his tongue.

Azula glared at him for a moment, then turned and walked over to the window in Jack's room, gazing out at the palace courtyard just beyond. "You well remember the mission I had assigned to you before this disaster. Right, Jack?"

"If you're referring to you telling me to kill your own brother, then yes. Has there been a change of plans?"

Azula looked over her shoulder at him. "You sound hopeful, Jack. Were you intending to not fulfill my orders?"

Jack returned her glare without fear. "Murder is just not something I will do for anyone. I will not have blood on my hands just to spare your family title."

Azula whipped around as a snarl ripped from her teeth, blue flames flashing out of her clenched fists. But Jack was unwavering. "You indicated that there has been a change of plans," he reminded the princess, folding his arms over his chest stubbornly.

"There has been," Azula growled. "With the Avatar alive, there is a chance that my brother may be able to capture him and restore his place in my family. It's a very slim chance, but a chance nonetheless. This must not be allowed to happen."

Jack's eyebrows furrowed. So even if there was a chance of her brother returning, she still wanted him gone? It didn't make any sense. Why would she…

Then it hit him. With Prince Zuko out of the way, Azula was clear to be the heir to their father's throne. If Zuko were to return and restore his status as crowned prince, Azula's chances of being Fire Lord were all but shot. She didn't care an ounce about those who shared who own blood unless they held some sort of use to her.

"But the Avatar's return, though potentially disastrous, has given us a second chance," Azula continued, walking forward to stand right in front of Jack. Though he was a foot taller than her, her intimidating presence equally matched his. "One of the Fire Nation's best commanders is being sent out on a naval ship with a crew of soldiers to search for the Avatar. The commander's name is Zhao, and according to some recent reports of his, there have been suspicious sightings in the south that could indicate the Avatar is hiding there."

"What are you asking me to do?" asked Jack.

A flicker of a smile tugged at the corner of Azula's lips. "I have just been in a council with my father and the other war generals. You will join a group of reinforcements to be sent to the Earth Kingdom. There, you will be trained as a soldier and join Zhao's ranks. You will aid him in the search for the Avatar, and furthermore, you will make sure he finds him before my brother does!"

Jack felt a slight twinge of relief only to feel it tense up in anxiety again. Learning to be a firebender was hard enough, but going to a Fire Nation boot camp to be trained as a soldier made his lessons with Giong-Giong look like a picnic.

Not that he had much of a choice in the matter.

Besides, he reminded himself, this could turn out to be a good thing. He would finally be getting away from this palace, the place he had been trapped in since arriving in this time. It was possible that one the search for the Avatar, he would find his missing friends. Maybe they would even help him on this mission. Even better yet, maybe if he was a good enough soldier, he would rise up through the ranks and gain a little more respect from Azula, the war generals, and even the Fire Lord. This mission was Jack's only ticket to freedom.

"Well," he said, trying not to sound too pleased, "it seems as though the decision has been made for me. When do I depart?"

A true smile, though a rather wicked one, painted itself on Azula's features. "You will be meeting the other recruits in front of the palace at dawn tomorrow, where instructions will be given to you by your leading captain. You will then be led on a parade through the capitol city down to the harbor, where you will leave for the Earth Kingdom. So I suggest you spend the rest of today packing and resting. You have a long, hard journey ahead of you, Jack Atlas."

* * *

"You have no idea where you're going, do you?" Sokka demanded of Aang, looking over the top of his map.

"Well," Aang replied uncertainly from the reins, "I know it's near water..."

Crow, Elodie, and Yusei looked over the edge of the saddle. There was water spread out beneath them as far as the eye could see. This mass expanse of ocean was the only thing they had seen for the past two or three hours now.

"I guess we're getting close then," Sokka said sarcastically.

"I could fly ahead and see if there's anything nearby," Crow volunteered, picking up his staff.

Aang looked back and smiled at him. "Hey, good idea! That'd help a lot if you could!"

"Are you sure, Crow?" Elodie asked anxiously. "Your glider can't go that much faster than Appa can, can it?"

"You'd be surprised at how fast this baby goes," Crow replied with a broad smile as he opened up the glider and held it behind him. "Be back before you know it!" he called as he leapt off the saddle and soared ahead. Elodie watched him wistfully as he faded into the distance, shrinking until he was just a black speck on the horizon. Finally, Elodie yelled out in frustration and threw her arms above her head.

"What's your problem?" Sokka asked.

"I am so SICK of not sensing where anyone is!" Elodie cried. "It's driving me completely CRAZY!"

"Elodie, it's not your responsibility to keep track of us, you know," Yusei told her quietly. "Crow's been doing nothing but airbending for a whole week. I think he's got the hang of it."

"I agree!" Aang declared almost proudly. "It takes most regular airbenders a couple of months to get the basics down, and even longer to learn how to fly! Crow is a natural!"

Elodie gave Yusei and Aang a skeptical look. "Why do I not find any comfort in those statements?"

Yusei sighed and gave up. Elodie had been in a bad mood since… well, since the time machine accident, Yusei was sure. He didn't exactly blame her, but he wished she would move past it. Maybe something on the island would help distract her from her psychic deprivation.

"Hey Katara! Check out this airbending trick!"

Yusei looked over to see Aang open his hands horizontally and spin a few marbles in a circle parallel with his palms. He had to admit it looked fun, but Katara, who was busy mending a rip in Sokka's pants, didn't notice.

"That's great, Aang," she said distractedly, continuing her sewing.

Aang, looking devasted, stopped spinning the marbles and complained, "You didn't even look!"

"That's great!" she said again, this time with more enthusiasm as she looked up from her stitching.

"But I'm not doing it now," Aang pointed out sadly.

"Stop bugging her, airhead," Sokka said lazily, waving his arms as he sat pant-less - Elodie was grateful his parka was long enough to cover him up - at the back of the saddle. "You need to give girls space when they do their sewing."

Katara stopped her sewing again and turned to glare at her brother, clearly irritated. "What does me being a girl have to do with _sewing?_"

_"_Simple: girls are better at fixing pants than guys, and guys are better at hunting and fighting and stuff like that," Sokka replied bluntly. "It's just the natural order of things."

This seemed to successfully distract Elodie, who was sulking at the edge of the saddle, as she whirled around to glare at the Water Tribe warrior. "The _natural order of things?"_ she repeated indignantly. "You do remember who knocked you on your butt back at the South Pole, right?"

"It was a lucky shot," Sokka snapped back. "I wasn't expecting it."

"I was a _Fire Nation soldier_ who freaking kicked your sorry butt at the South Pole, and Katara froze Zuko's other soldiers to help us escape the ship all on her own, and you claim that our 'natural role' is _fixing your pants_?"

"You were only on Zuko's ship for a week, Elodie. That doesn't make you a soldier!"

"It's certainly more than you can say for being a warrior, Sokka," Katara came to Elodie's defense.

"Do we really need to be arguing about this?" Yusei asked rather exasperatedly.

"Thank you, Yusei!" Sokka exclaimed, gesturing toward the head Signer. "At least a _man_ can see through his hormones!"

Elodie and Katara exchanged furious looks. "All done with your pants!" Katara cried with false cheeriness, holding up the only half-fixed pair of trousers. "And look what a great job I did!"

And with a dark glower, she threw the trousers into Sokka's face. "Wait! I was just kidding!" Sokka cried desperately, sticking his hand through the hole in the seat of his pants. "I can't wear these! Katara, _please_!"

"I think it's pretty clear who wears the pants here, Sokka," Elodie smirked. "And it isn't you."

Aang and Yusei couldn't help but laugh at the remark as Sokka glowered grumpily. With a content sigh, Elodie leaned over the edge of the saddle and looked toward the horizon ahead of them. Suddenly, she jerked her head up, smiling brightly. "I see Crow!"

Everyone looked up to see Crow speeding toward them on his glider, a big grin on his face as he landed on Appa's saddle. "There's a big moon-shaped island up ahead, just to our left!" he announced cheerfully. "We're nearly there, guys!"

"That's great news!" Sokka exclaimed sarcastically. "Now, Katara, about fixing my pants-"

"Don't worry, Sokka," Aang called back with a big grin. "Where we're going, you won't need any pants!"

Yusei, Crow, Elodie, and Sokka all exchanged worried looks as Aang flicked the reins and sent Appa flying even faster across the sky. "Do you guys think he was being serious about that?" Crow muttered nervously.

"This is going to be a long trip," Elodie groaned.

* * *

**A/N: So here's the next chapter! I got it up nice and quick to make up for my insubordination. Now please show me the love and leave some nice reviews please? :D Thanks for reading!**


	19. The Warriors of Kyoshi Part 2

Crow didn't think he had ever had as much fun as he did riding the Elephant Koi with Aang. It was like surfing, but even better! The giant fish jumped and dove and writhed over and under and through the water as he clung onto its giant top fin for his life, laughing and screaming his head off. It was just as thrilling as dueling Sector Security back home! He could have stayed out in the bay with Aang and the fish for hours.

It was all fun, at least, until the giant sea monster attacked them.

"What was that thing?" Katara exclaimed as Aang hurriedly climbed off of Sokka, whom he had just run into while escaping the monster, and began tugging on his clothes. Crow had only removed his shirt to ride the koi fish, so he put that back on and used airbending to dry himself off.

"I don't know!" Aang replied as he pulled his own shirt over his head.

"Well, let's not stick around and find out," Sokka said as he stood and brushed himself off. "Time to hit the road."

"Definite-" Yusei began to agree, but before they had a chance, they were surrounded by several green-clad figures that had dropped out of the sky. The group cried out as they were all individually attacked: one grabbed Sokka from beneath his arms, one pulled Katara's hood over her head, another grabbed Aang's shirt, another grabbed Yusei and Crow by the scruff of their necks, and a final one twisting Elodie's arm behind her back. Before they knew it, the group of six were flung to the ground, blindfolded and bound with ropes.

"Or we could stay a while..." Sokka muttered helplessly.

Without a word, the attackers grabbed the six travelers and forced them into a line facing away from the shore. They said absolutely nothing as they forced the prisoners to march off the beach, despite the group's shouted questions and demands. The six prisoners could hear the crunch of snow and twigs that told them they were being taken through the forest. Trying desperately to see through their blindfolds, the group only knew they had come out of the forest when the shadows of the branches had lifted and the path became suddenly smoother, though still covered in snow.

"Yusei? Crow?" Elodie called out, her voice high-pitched with panic. "You guys still there?"

"We're all here, El," Yusei replied reassuringly. "You okay?"

_"I HATE being blind!"_

"Just keep calm, you guys," Aang said. "We'll get out of this."

One of their captors gave a disbelieving snort that. Not exactly encouraging.

They marched a little further on until the strong hands leading them suddenly pushed them into what felt like a wooden pole and tied them all together. The group could hear whispers and murmurings all around them, as though a crowd had gathered. When the hands tying them to the pole released them, a sudden hush came over the crowd.

"You six have some explaining to do," the soft, yet powerful voice of an old man declared.

"And if you don't answer all our questions," a girl added, her tone surprisingly clear and menacing, "we're throwing you back in the water with the Unagi!"

"The what-now?" Crow wondered out loud. "Is that that monster thing that almost ate us?"

"This really isn't necessary," Yusei said calmly. "We'll answer your questions."

"Speak for yourself!" Sokka shouted furiously. _"__Show yourselves, cowards!"_

Elodie gasped with relief as the blindfolds were pulled away from their faces and they got a good look around them. They were, in fact, tied to a large wooden pole in the middle of a village. The pole was just big enough for them all to see the crowd gathered in front of them amidst the charming wooden houses that made up the village. Directly in front of the prisoners was the group of green-clad warriors who had attacked them: they were six young women dressed in dark green battle dresses, complete with armor, and they all had their faces painted white with red on their eyelids and below their eyebrows. The one directly in front of Sokka had a crown-like gold crest strapped to her head, clearly marking her as the leader. Amidst the group of young women was a short, plump old man dressed in a dark blue robe with thick gray hair and a beard.

_Those girls in the green must be the people who attacked us, _everyone in the group – except for one certain Water Tribe warrior - thought to themselves.

"Who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us?" Sokka demanded, straining at his bonds.

"There were no men," the woman with the golden crest declared, shaking a clenched fist. "_We_ ambushed you. Now tell us: who are you and what are you doing here?"

Sokka gave a shout of laughter. "Wait a second, there's no way that a bunch of _girls_ took us down."

"A bunch of _girls_, huh?" the female warrior hissed threateningly, grabbing the front of Sokka's coat. "The Unagi's gonna eat well tonight."

"No, don't hurt him!" Katara, who was tied to Sokka's left side, cried. "He didn't mean it. My brother is just an idiot sometimes."

"There's the understatement of the century," Elodie muttered as the warrior released Sokka.

"It's my fault," Aang instantly spoke up, his expression full of remorse. "I'm sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the elephant koi."

_"_How do we know you're not Fire Nation spies?" the old man demanded. "We found armor packed up in the saddle of your bison!"

"You have Appa?!" Aang suddenly cried out in alarm. "You didn't hurt him, did you?"

"He is being kept in one of our barns," the warrior who had threatened Sokka replied shortly. "Now explain the Fire Nation armor found in your possession!"

"Oh, crap! That was my bad," Elodie said quickly, leaning around Aang to face the warriors. "I was forced into joining one of their crew, and with the help of my friends I escaped. We have no kind feelings toward the Fire Nation, I promise you!"

"What if you are lying?" the old man persisted, refusing to be swayed. "Kyoshi has stayed out of the war so far, and we intend to keep it that way!"

"This island is named for Kyoshi?" Aang asked, his interest piqued. "I know Kyoshi!"

"Ha!" the man laughed mockingly. "How could you possibly know her? Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago. She's been dead for centuries." The old man looked up above their heads, and the group of prisoners craned their necks to see that their pole was the base of a wooden statue of a woman holding two golden fans and dressed exactly as the females warriors were. It could have only been the Kyoshi person the old man was refering to.

"Who's Kyoshi?" Elodie muttered to Crow, who was tied to the pole next to her.

"She was the Avatar before Roku, who was the Avatar before Aang," Crow replied, remembering what he had read in the scrolls back at the air temple. "She's one of Aang's past lives."

Aang was looking at the ground, thinking hard. Suddenly, he raised his head and calmly declared, "I know her because _I'm_ the Avatar."

"That's impossible!" the lead warrior declared as she and her fellows stared at the little airbender in shock. "The last Avatar was an airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago!"

"That's me!" confirmed with a broad grin.

"Throw the imposter and the Fire Nation girl to the Unagi!" the old man declared, pointing a commanding finger at the group tied to the pole. The six girls immediately took up a defensive stance, each pulling a pair of shorts golden shafts from their belts and whipping them open to reveal fans just like on the statue. Despite them closing in menacingly, Elodie felt a surge of respect for the female warriors, though she did resent being called 'the Fire Nation girl'.

"Aang," Katara muttered nervously, "do some airbending..."

The warriors were just about to close in. Suddenly, Aang broke his bonds, shot up into the air and back-flipped over the statue of Kyoshi. The crowd gasped as he slowly floated to the ground to stand between his friends and the warriors, a determined look on his boyish face as the air swirled around him majestically.

"It's true," the old man breathed in amazement. "You _are _the Avatar!"

_"_Now..." Aang proclaimed, pulling something out from beneath his shirt, "check _this_ out!"

He had pulled out the marbles he had used earlier to try and impress Katara. Unlike Katara, however, the crowd cheered wildly in amazement at the airbending trick as Aang grinned expectantly. One man in particular began shouting wildly as he threw his arms over his head and jumped wildly. Suddenly, his mouth started foaming and he passed out in front of the crowd.

"Ooookaay," Yusei murmured as one of the female warriors hurriedly cut the rest of their bonds.

"We are sorry for the confusion," the lead warrior said as she helped untie the rest of the group. "If we had known you truly were not enemies…"

"You were just protecting your home," Elodie replied with an understanding smile, rubbing her wrists absentmindedly. "We understand. What's your name?"

"My name is Suki. What's yours?"

"My name is Elodie, and this is Yusei and Crow," Elodie replied as the two boys came up next to her. "The sexist pig over there is Sokka-"

"Hey!" Sokka shouted indignantly.

"-and this is our friend Katara," Elodie continued without guilt as Katara approached them, "and the Avatar's name is Aang."

"It is an honor to have the Avatar and his friends here on Kyoshi Island," Suki said with a smile and a bow. "And I'm sorry that we accused you of being Fire Nation."

"It's alright. We're just honored to be here!" Elodie exclaimed excitedly. "I know this probably seems really forward, but do you think you girls could teach me some fighting techniques?"

"I see nothing wrong with forwardness," Suki replied with a chuckle. "We don't very often let outsiders into our group, but if the Avatar trusts you, and you're really tough enough to survive the Fire Nation army as well as escape it, I think we can make an exception."

Yusei and Crow grinned at each other as Elodie rushed forward and hugged the surprised warrior, declaring her pleasure and gratitude enthusiastically. They both knew Elodie well enough to know she had been dying for an opportunity to strengthen and redeem herself from her newfound weaknesses. She'd been yearning for another chance to prove herself; especially for Sokka, who doubted her abilities because of her gender. It seemed as though she would get the distraction Yusei had been hoping for, after all. Maybe they all would.


	20. The Warriors of Kyoshi Part 3

The village of Kyoshi treated the group of travelers extremely well; they got an entire building to themselves, complete with three bedrooms, a washroom, and a very spacious sitting room that also made up a dining room, as the group found out the next morning. "All right!" Aang cheered, throwing his hands in the air as a villager set yet another plate of goodies on the already laden table. "Dessert for breakfast! These people sure know how to treat an Avatar!" he added as he shoved pastries and bread into his mouth. Katara was sitting next to Aang, and Yusei and Crow were across from them. Crow had already dug in just as enthusiastically as Aang had, and though Yusei was eating as well, Katara just picked up a treat and examined it uncertainly. She had lived in a poor Water Tribe village her entire life; she was not sure what to think of all the strange, extravagant food being laid out in front of her.

"This is delicious!" Crow exclaimed through a mouthful of some sort of frosted bun. "I dunno what it is, but it tastes amazing!"

"Where's Elodie at?" Aang asked, looking around for the former Fire Nation soldier. "She's missing some of the best food _ever!_"

"I think she left early this morning to train with the Kyoshi Warriors," Yusei answered, taking a bite of a spice cake. The Kyoshi Warriors were the women in the green dresses who had brought them to the village.

"Well, her loss. Katara, you've got to try these!" Aang held out a pastry for Katara to take.  
**  
**"Well…" Katara said, still uncertain, "maybe just a bite..." She took the pastry from Aang's hand and bit into it. It really did taste good; she had never had anything so delectable in her entire life.

Aang looked back to the corner of the room, where the only other missing member of their group of slumped on the ground against the wall, sulking. "Sokka, what's your problem? Eat!"

"Not hungry," Sokka snapped, his arms folded tight over his chest as he glowered at the opposite wall.

Crow stopped eating abruptly as everyone turned to stare at Sokka in absolute shock. "Did I hear that right?" Crow asked, sticking his little finger in his ear as if to clear it out. "Did Sokka of the Water Tribe just say he _wasn't hungry?_"

"But you're _always _hungry!" Aang exclaimed, quite unable to comprehend what his friend was saying.

"He's just upset because a bunch of _girls _kicked his butt yesterday," Katara explained smugly.

"They snuck up on me!" Sokka cried angrily.

"Right. And _then _they kicked your butt."

"Sneak attacks don't count!" Sokka declared, getting up and grabbing sweets from the table as he ranted, _"_Tie me up with ropes! I'll show them a thing or two. I'm not scared of any girls. Who do they think they are anyway?" As he stalked out of the room, his arms laden with treats, he stuck a pastery in his mouth. "Mmm... this is tasty."

"I don't get what he's so angry about," said Aang. "It's great here. They're giving us the royal treatment!"

"Hey, don't get too comfortable," Katara warned. "It's risky for us to stay in one place for very long."

"She's right, Aang," Yusei agreed, leaning on his elbows as he folded his arms on the table. "Zuko seemed like a pretty persistent guy. He's not going to give up easily."

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Aang brushed off casually. "There's no way Zuko could have tracked us all the way out here. Besides, did you see how happy I'm making this town? They're even cleaning up that statue in my honor!"

Katara still looked worried as Aang gestured out the window to the statue of Kyoshi, which was in the progress of being repainted. "Well, it's nice to see you excited about being the Avatar. I just hope it doesn't all go to your head."

Aang smiled at her. "Come on, you know me better than that. I'm just a simple monk."

"A simple monk who just became a celebrity," Crow corrected as Aang got up and walked over to the window. Exchanging a look with Yusei, he added, "Trust me, fame can change a person."

Yusei knew what Crow was hinting at. He remembered well Jack's weakness for fame and glory.

Suddenly, a chorus of high-pitched screams rose up to them from the street below as Aang leaned against the windowsill. Katara got up to see what was happening and saw a group of young girls screaming and cheering as Aang smiled at them, blushing. Folding her arms crossly, Katara rolled her eyes and let out a long raspberry. _Fan girls._

"And so it begins," Yusei said with a grim sigh. "Well, I think I'm going to go down to the Kyoshi Warriors' dojo and see how Elodie is doing. I wanted to see if they did any weapons training anyway."

Crow sputtered and cough as he accidentally inhaled part of what looked like a doughnut. "Did you just say _weapons,_ Yusei? I never thought I'd see the day _you_ got interested in weapons that didn't come on a piece of paper or with a motor!"

"What?" Katara asked, turning to look back at the two boys curiously.

"Future stuff," Yusei said in explanation before turning back to Crow. "We can't exactly use card dueling and motorcycles anymore, can we? It's probably best if we all learn some kind of weapon or fighting skill to help get Aang to the North Pole."

"Especially if we run into Zuko again," Katara added.

Crow sighed. "Well, I might as well come along too. I've got nothing better to do, and I think Aang is going to be a bit busy today. Maybe I'll find a place to practice airbending."

* * *

It didn't take long for the Kyoshi Warriors to discover just how in the world Elodie made it in the Fire Nation army. Her fighting style was quick and agile, yet precise and lethal. Add that to her cunning and quick reflexes, and she became quite a deadly weapon. She also learned very quickly, and by noon she was suited up in the uniform and drilling with the other warriors as though she had done it her whole life. They were in a small dojo surrounded by enormous evergreen trees, practicing kicks and blocks with the fans that were Kyoshi's trademark weapon.

Elodie was so relieved to finally be doing something proactive again. Generally, she felt much happier and more comfortable than she had during their entire exile in this time. With this training, she thought, maybe she would have a better chance of surviving in this time and be able to regain some of her dignity.

_I have to regain my honor._ The sudden intrusion of Zuko's voice into her mind threw Elodie slightly off-balance. Shaking the disturbing thought away, she quickly got back into rhythm with the other girls. She wasn't acting like Zuko. Zuko was so obsessed with his quest that he didn't care who he hurt in getting his honor back. Elodie knew where the limits were; all she wanted was to be able to help Aang get to the North Pole without being a hindrance. She wanted to be strong enough to not make the mistakes she had in her first week in this land. She wanted to be brave enough to not need Crow holding her to fall asleep, though she had to admit she wasn't about to complain about that…

"Sorry ladies! Didn't mean to interrupt your dance lesson. I was just looking for somewhere to get a little workout?"

Elodie and the other warriors abruptly stopped their drill and looked up to see Sokka standing in the doorway of the dojo. He wasn't wearing his overcoat, despite the winter chill outside, and was stretching his arms and flexing his muscles impressively, his expression full of arrogance and superiority. Elodie gave a disproving snort and folded her arms crossly.

"Well, you're in the right place," Suki replied coolly. "Sorry about yesterday. I didn't know that you were friends with the Avatar."

_"_It's all right," Sokka replied flippantly, rolling his shoulders. "I mean, normally I'd hold a grudge, but seeing as you guys are a bunch of girls, I'll make an exception."

Elodie growled and moved forward threateningly, but the warrior standing next to her grabbing her arm and held her back. "Don't worry," the girl whispered. "Suki has this under control."

"I should hope so," Suki said in a sickly sweet tone dripping with sarcasm. "A big strong man like you? We wouldn't stand a chance."

Sokka smirked and rolled his head back. "True, but don't feel bad. After all, I am the best warrior in my village."

"Considering his competition were boys six and younger, that's not saying much," Elodie muttered to the girl next to her, who giggled behind her hand.

"Wow!" Suki exclaimed with false awe. "The best warrior, huh? In your whole village? Maybe you'd be kind enough to give us a little demonstration."

Elodie grinned broadly as Sokka became suddenly flustered, stammering, "Oh... well... I mean, I-

"Come on, girls!" Suki encouraged, looking back at Elodie and the other warriors. "Wouldn't you like him to show us some moves?"

Elodie was still smirking as the other girls giggled and nodded in agreement. After training with the warriors, especially Suki, she knew Sokka was going to get what was coming to him. She felt a savage surge of joy as Sokka turned to Suki with a confident smirk and said, "Well, if that's what you want, I'd be happy to. All right, you stand over there," he pushed against Suki's shoulders slightly, though she didn't actually move. Getting back in a fighting stance, Sokka continued, "This may be a little tough, but… _try_ to block me."

Suki did more than try. As Sokka threw a wild punch, her arm shot straight up and her fan jabbed into his shoulder, completely cutting of his pathetic attack. Other than her arm, she didn't move at all. Sokka gasped in pain and fell back, clutching his shoulder.

"Agh! Uh… good," Sokka said, his expression both surprised and disgruntled. "Of course, I was going easy on you," he added hastily.

"Of course," said Suki sweetly.

Sokka screwed his face up in determination and stood straight again. "Let's see if you can handle _this_!" He threw a kick up toward Suki, but the lead warrior ducked and caught his leg, tossing him into the air and flat on his back.

"Are you satisfied yet, Sokka?" Elodie called. "Because we have our dance lesson to get back to."

"_That does it!" _the water tribe teen yelled in rage as he clambered to his feet and lunged toward Suki, but she grabbed him by the arm and spun him around, using his own momentum against him. Suki reversed the circle so Sokka, screaming all the while, was completely disoriented, and abruptly let go. As Sokka started to stumble forward, Suki ripped his belt from around his waist and tied his extended leg and arm together behind his back. Sokka staggered forward a few steps on one foot before falling face-first to the ground.

"Anything else you want to 'teach' us?" Suki asked.

Sokka's face was beet red as the other warriors laughed at him. Elodie sighed as a twinge of sympathy reverberated in her heart and she stepped forward, knelt beside the defeated warrior, and untied the belt from around his ankle and wrist.

"I'll escort him out," she told the other warriors as she pulled Sokka none-too-gently to his feet.

"Okay," Suki nodded. "You can just jump back in when you return."

Sokka was still blushing with fury and humiliation as Elodie led him outside. Rather than just dumping him outside the dojo, however, the honorary Kyoshi Warrior led Sokka out into the forest surrounding the village.

"What are you doing?" Sokka demanded, jerking his arm out of her grip when she stopped in a small, snow-covered clearing.

"I thought I would save you the extra humiliation when I started yelling at you," Elodie replied angry. "Was all that really necessary? The Kyoshi Warriors and their fellow villagers have been extremely generous to us, and you-"

"Hey, don't even try to pretend that they're innocent!" Sokka argued, gesturing with a sweep of his hand in the direction of the dojo. "They attacked us, in case you haven't forgotten!"

"They were protecting their home! You would have done the same thing if a group of strange people came to _your_ village, right?"

"Well, I don't know how things are run in the future, but in his era, a man fights for dignity and honor!"

"Yeah, there seems to be a lot of that going on around here," Elodie snapped. "But you didn't come to the dojo for honor, Sokka. You were just talking big and showing off to make fun of the Kyoshi Warriors!"

"They're just a bunch of girls!"

"A bunch of girls who've now kicked your butt _twice!_ That makes three times in that last week that a girl has knocked you on your face, and if you keep acting like an ignorant, sexist hot-shot, that number is going to go up!"

"Is that a threat, Elodie?" Sokka demanded, moving forward so the two warriors were nose-to-nose. "Are you challenging me?"

"That was no threat, Sokka," Elodie growled. "That was a promise. Besides, I don't have time to play with sissy little boys right now. I have some real training to get to."

"Oh, and you were calling me a hot-shot!" Sokka shouted after Elodie as she turned on her heel and made to return to the dojo. "What are you spending so much time with them for?"

"It's this little concept called 'developing a skill', Sokka," Elodie snapped over her shoulder. "And if you had an ounce of sense in that over-inflated head of yours, you'd do the same."

"Are you sure you're not doing it just to save face?" Sokka sneered. "You didn't exactly look like a powerful warrior when you were snuggled up with Crow last night-"

Elodie was on him faster than Sokka could have ever imagined her moving in that dress. Before he knew it, Elodie had him pinned against a tree, her painted face right up in his, her eyes blazing with fury.

"You keep Crow out of this, Water Boy," Elodie snarled, her fists curled in Sokka's shirt. "You men aren't the only ones who care about honor. And seeing as this is the fourth time a girl has pinned you, I'd say you need it more than I do."

Elodie released her death grip on Sokka's shirt and he fell to the ground. Before he could get up or think of a retort, Elodie turned and stormed out of the clearing, leaving the Water Tribe boy to his thoughts.


	21. The Warriors of Kyoshi Part 4

"I understand that fans are probably the best weapon for an airbender," Crow said patiently, "but I just really don't think they're for me. I'll stick with my staff."

Oyagi, the blue-robbed chief of Kyoshi Island, sighed and set the closed the fans in his hands, setting them back in his box. "If you insist. Although, if you don't mind me saying, Crow, I find it miraculous that you even exist. We always thought the Avatar would be the last airbender in our world, and now we have two right here in our village!"

Crow laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Believed me, I was just as surprised as you are."

"Hey, Crow, how about this?" Yusei called. Crow turned to see his friend holding up a thin dagger with curved spikes coming up from either side of the base of the blade. He held it up in front of him and swung it around awkwardly, fighting off an invisible opponent. The two boys and the old man were gathered in a small building behind the dojo, where all the village's weapons were made and sold. The array of weapons included clubs, spears, daggers, swords, chains, whips, bags of smoke bombs and fire pellets, beautifully crafted bows and arrows, and large hammers. The bearded blacksmith stood near Yusei, watching him with a cynical brow raised, shaking his head and tutting disappointedly.

"I don't think so, Yusei," Crow told his friend apologetically. "It's a little too Peter Pan for you."

"Peter Pan?" Oyagi repeated curiously. "Who is Peter Pan?"

Crow felt a bead of sweat drop down the side of his face. "Never mind. It's just an old folk tale from, um, back home."

Yusei set the dagger down disappointedly and looked around the shop. He was sure he had examined, held, and tried out every single weapon in the shop, and nothing seemed to suit him. The clubs and hammers were two bulky and heavy, the chains and whips kept getting tangled, the daggers felt small and unfamiliar in his hands, the spear felt slightly better but wasn't very convenient for travel, he didn't feel safe carrying around a back of explosions, most of the swords were two big and long… maybe Crow was right. Any weapon that didn't come in the form of a duel monster or a machine just wasn't for him.

Then he spotted something at a back corner of the shop that he had not yet seen. There was small space of wall on which several swords and daggers were mounted on hooks. In the middle of these blades was a pair of swords that identically matched each other, like if you put them together they would make a whole sword. The blades were merely thins slivers of metal, but just looking at their sharp edges even from this distance made his fingers ache with invisible cuts. The width of the blades widened from the base, and then came together and curved up to form a razor sharp point. The handles of the swords were made of wounds brown leather, with a small circle of a hand guard at the top of each one. A hopeful gleam entered the raven haired boy's eyes as he walked over to the wall and took the blades down from their hooks, one sword in each hand. The blades themselves were slightly shorter than his whole arm, making it longer and less awkward than a dagger, but lighter than and not as bulky as a broadsword. And they felt just right in his hands, the balance perfect and stable. Yusei held the blades together, and found they fit like two halves of a puzzle. He stood back from the wall and created an invisible X in the air with the swords together, then took a step forward, pulled the swords apart, and turned into a fighting stance, one sword held upright in front of his face, the other held over his head with the tip pointing forward.

Yusei looked over at Crow, Oyagi, and the blacksmith, and on each face he saw equal expressions of surprise and approval. "You handle those swords very well," the blacksmith commented.

Yusei stood up and weighed the swords in his hands again, smiling faintly. "They feel right. What are they called?"

"Those are dueling broadswords," the blacksmith replied. "Two halves made from a single sword. Even when they're held apart, they work together like they are whole."

Yusei held the swords together again, admiring the way the sunlight leaking through the doorway shone on the silver metal. "How much?" he asked, looking up at the blacksmith.

The blacksmith smiled and clapped a hand on Yusei's shoulder. "For a friend of the Avatar? It's on the house."

"I can't do that!" Yusei exclaimed. He couldn't bear to think of cheating this poor blacksmith out of what had to be his most prized work. Nothing else in the shop compared to the duel swords' workmanship. Then again, he remembered, he really didn't have any money to buy the swords with anyway.

"I just said you could, didn't I?" said the blacksmith with a bearded smile. "Besides, I feel like they were made just for you."

Yusei gazed down at the swords again in wonder and gratitude. Could they really be his? But who would help him learn to use them? He could figure that out later, when he had the chance to practice with them. Yusei couldn't believe how good it felt to hold such weapons in his hands, how each handle perfectly fit into his palms like well-worn gloves.

He looked back up at the blacksmith. "Does it come on a belt or something?"

The blacksmith smiled again and went walked across the shed to a small wooden chest near his work table. Yusei followed him and watched as the man opened the chest, rummaged around for a moment, and then pulled out a thick leather belt, meant to be worn diagonally across the chest, with a leather sheath on the back. The blacksmith wordlessly gestured to for the swords, and Yusei traded them for the sheath, which he immediately strapped on. It fit perfectly, going from the top of his right shoulder down to his left side under his arm, the sheath resting on his bag parallel to the strap. The blacksmith handed back the pair of swords, which Yusei took and slid into its sheath, hearing the satisfying ring of metal as the swords fit perfectly into place.

"Thank you very much, sir," Yusei said with eager gratitude. "If there's anything I can do for you…"

"Just make sure you take care of those swords," the blacksmith ordered gently. "Make sure they're cleaned and polished every day. And be sure to use them to knock some Fire Nation heads for all of us here on Kyoshi, eh?"

Yusei nodded, grinning broadly. "You've got a deal!"

Crow was also smiling as he walked up behind his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "Man, I can't wait until Sokka and Elodie see this! They're gonna freak!"

"What am I going to freak about?"

The two boys turned to see Elodie, still dressed up in her Kyoshi uniform and makeup, enter the blacksmith's shop. She noticed the swords sheathed on Yusei's back and frowned curiously. "Yusei, did _you _get a _sword?_"

"Two, actually!" Crow said excitedly as Yusei drew the swords and held them up to show his friend. "They're called dueling broadswords! How cool is that?!"

To both boys' surprise, Elodie flinched, her eyes widening with shock and apprehension at the sight of the blades. But then the expression was gone and replaced by a smile so quickly, the boys were almost certain they had imagined it. "That's great, Yusei! I'm glad you found something that suits you."

"How about you, young lady?" the blacksmith offered, waving a hand around the store. "Is there anything here that interests you?"

Elodie took a quick glance around the walls and shelves of weapons that surrounded her, and her eyes immediately landed on the daggers, bows, and arrows displayed in the corner across from where Yusei had found his swords. "Actually, I wouldn't mind looking at the bows and knives, but I don't exactly have any money…"

"Don't worry about it," the blacksmith said with a wave of his hand. "You guys can take whatever you need. If you'll be travelling with the Avatar, I want to help make sure you're well prepared."

Elodie gave the man a genuine smile this time. "Thank you very much, sir! I think I'll stop by later today. Right now, I have to get back to the Kyoshi Warriors."

"Yeah, what are you doing out of training, El?" Crow asked. The dark look that came across the girl's face made Crow wish he had withheld his curiosity.

"I had to kick Sokka out because he was being a prat," she growled angrily. "That sexist pig really doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut, does he?"

Slightly taken aback by her harsh words, Crow asked what happened. Elodie explained how the Water Tribe warrior had burst into the dojo in order to show off his "fighting skills" and ended up completely embarrassing himself. She finished by saying that they had gotten into an argument outside that ended with her pinning him to a tree, and Crow knew that Sokka must have crossed a line to provoke her that much. The only other person Crow had seen Elodie get this irritated with was Jack, who seemed to possess a special talent for getting under the former psychic's skin.

"Anyway," Elodie said with a sigh, "I think I'll get back to training. I'll definitely be back for those bows, though!"

Yusei and Crow watched after Elodie as she left the blacksmith's shop and jogged back toward the dojo, her skirt billowing around her ankles. The two then exchanged looks of concern and confusion. The sound of noisy grumbling and cursing reached their ears, and they turned to see Sokka emerging from the trees not too far away, kicking at lose dirt, his bright red face clearly seen even from where they were standing.

"I think I'm going to go talk to Sokka," Yusei suggested. "Crow, why don't you go see if Katara needs help with anything?"

"Sure, I can do that!" Crow agreed, grabbing his glider from where he had propped it on the wall and running back outside.

It wasn't hard for Crow to find Katara in the village. He spotted her carrying a basket full of food from the market place to the building they were staying in, struggling slightly under the weight. "Hey, Katara!" he called, using his airbending to boost his speed as he ran up to her.

"Oh, hey, Crow," Katara said a little distractedly as she hoisted the basket in her arms.

"Do you need some help with that?" Crow asked. "Here, allow me."

"Oh, thanks, Crow!" Katara sighed with relief as Crow took the basket and carried it under his arm. "It's good to know that _some_ airbenders can show a little courtesy toward a friend."

"Wow, that's a lot of ice in your tone, Waterbender," Crow remarked. "Let me guess: Aang's too busy impressing the little Kyoshi ladies to help you pack up?"

"Yeah, actually," Katara said in surprise as the two began walking back toward the hut they were staying in. "How'd you-"

The sudden cacophony of delighted squeals drew their attention to the sky above them, where they spotted Appa flying low overhead, Aang in the driver's seat and the same group of giggly girls from this morning clinging to the saddle. As their screams and laughter faded away again, Crow looked over to see Katara glowering at the bison.

"Well, _that_ kinda gives me a clue," Crow answered Katara's half-asked question. "Plus, I've dealt with this kinda thing before. You see, back home, Yusei, Elodie, and all of our other friends and I made names for ourselves. Our friend Jack in particular. He was a big-shot celebrity who was an absolute glutton for that kind of attention."

"Sounds like that quickly got annoying," Katara said empathetically.

"Oh, believe me, it did. Jack's gotten under my skin more times than I can count. But ya know what?" Crow added, smiling down at the young waterbender. "At the end of the day, I know that I can count on him to do the right thing, protect his friends, and get the job done. That part of him is down too deep for any superficial fame or glory to deface. I'm sure the same goes even more so for Aang."

Katara raised her eyebrows as she smiled back at Crow. "Wow, Crow. I didn't think of you to be the wise guru type at all."

Crow snickered mischievously. "Hey, don't let the outfit fool you," he said, pulling at his red shawl. "I'm not as much of an airhead as most people think."

* * *

"Hey, Sokka!" Yusei called as the younger Water Tribe warrior stormed off to the village. "Wait up!"

Sokka, however, didn't wait up. If anything, he quickened his pace as Yusei jogged to catch up to him. "You seem a little hot under the collar," Yusei observed with a frown. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Those girls just think they're all that because they have some stupid dresses and fancy fans!" Sokka suddenly shouted, startling a nearby flock of birds and sending them flying into the air. "What makes them any better than I am?"

"Well," Yusei said, counting off on his fingers, "they've all been training in expert martial arts since they were children and they've now knocked you on your butt four times."

"It was only twice!"

"Oh, right. Elodie was the other two. Sorry."

"Oh, so you talked to _her_, huh?" Sokka grumbled, kicking a nearby stone with surprising force. "Of course you're probably on her side, right?"

"I'm on no one's 'side', Sokka," Yusei said with a serious frown. "Both of you are my friends, and I think you both need put away some of your pride and work together to sort this problem out."

"Me? Work with her?" Sokka spat. "Fat chance of that! She's no better than I am! The whole reason she's getting involved with the Kyoshi Warriors is so she can act all tough and mighty-"

"Now, hang on a moment, Sokka," Yusei said sternly, holding an arm in front of his friend's shoulders to stop him. "I'm starting to see where you crossed the line with her. The whole reason Elodie trains is because she feels like she has a responsibility to protect her friends, and the loss of her powers has really set her back. She's trying to replace the void her abilities left her and regain some advantage."

"So it _is_ all to save face!" Sokka cried.

"No, Sokka," Yusei said. "It goes a lot deeper than that. You don't know what happened to her in our time, what her life was like, what she grew up with. What all of us grew up with."

"Try me," Sokka snapped, turning and facing Yusei with his arms folded and a scowl on his face.

Yusei gave his friend a long, steady glare before replying, "Alright, fine. The city the three of us, as well as our other three friends, come from is called New Domino City. When all of us were just barely born, a great big earthquake and storm split the city we lived in into two different cities. The smaller one was pushed away from the larger body out to see and was left desolate. It became known as The Satellite, a place of discrimination and prejudice and poverty. All of our parents were killed in the disaster, and many children became orphans without homes or food or anything to call their own. Crow and I grew up in the same orphanage and were lucky enough to have a kind matron take care of us, but Elodie…" Yusei shook his head sadly. "She ran away from her orphanage when she was only seven years old because all the other kids bullied her so badly. She lived alone on the streets for over five years. Because of her abilities, she was shunned by civilians and chased by gangs who wanted to use her power to her own advantage. She lived nearly her whole life dealing with contempt and betrayal. She couldn't fight back, and even with her powers she didn't know who to trust. It wasn't until a friend of ours found her that she got back on her feet, and even then it was still another couple years before she met Crow she became truly able to trust people."

Yusei had watched Sokka's hard, haughty face slowly slide away and melt into an expression of shock and guilt. "So that's why she and Crow are so close?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"That's exactly why," Yusei confirmed. "Crow and I also experienced our fair share of hardships and betrayal after we left the orphanage. He's lost people he looked up to and cared about, and he's faced imprisonment and various threats on multiple occasions because he had to steal to get the things he and his friends needed. All those tattoos on his face? Those are criminal marks. In our time, the law enforcement officers in Sector Security would put these marks on their prisoners faces so their whereabouts could be tracked."

"He's got a lot of tattoos, too," Sokka remembered, Crow's yellow-marked face swimming in front of his mind. "And what about you? What's the story behind your mark?"

Yusei bowed his head, turning so his criminal mark wasn't visible. "I wanted revenge on a friend who had betrayed me, and this is what it led too. Actually, I've been betrayed twice by people who were closest to me, and the pain is… indescribable."

Sokka shook his head in awe. "I never knew things like this existed in the world… even if it is the future…"

Yusei smiled grimly. "Not to discredit you and your own struggles, Sokka, but all you've ever known in your village. The three of us have fought many battles not only for ourselves, but our entire people and culture, much like we all are now in this time. We've seen and been through a lot, and even though we have a lot to learn about _this_ time period and _your_ culture doesn't mean we don't understand the hardships of war or the importance of fighting for those we care about." Yusei sighed, looking toward the dojo where Elodie and the Kyoshi Warriors were currently training. "So to wrap things up, yes, Sokka, Elodie is trying to save face. But that's only because she's grown up where strength and honor were what kept her alive. If she wasn't strong, she was cut down in the most brutal ways possible. This means more to her than you know."

"I never knew," Sokka whispered, sitting down hard on a log just a few feet away and putting his head in his hands. "Oh, Spirits, if I had known what you guys have all been through… I can't even fully comprehend it."

"The Kyoshi Warriors are no different," Yusei added quietly. "They've grown up training themselves to protect their home and their people. Just because they're women doesn't mean they can't fight or are unworthy to. In our time, women are treated equally to men, and I've seen multiple women, Elodie included, fight for what they love with more skill and power than even I could dream of having. They all deserve to be respected and treated as seasoned warriors."

Sokka bowed his head shamefully. "I'm really sorry, Yusei," he said remorsefully. "If I had really known…"

"Don't apologize to me," Yusei said, holding his hands out in front of him. "I'm not the one you insulted. You need to go talk to Elodie and the other warriors about this one."

Sokka seemed a little apprehensive about that suggestion, but he finally sighed and pulled himself up to his feet. "Yeah, I suppose you're right… I'll go talk to them."

Yusei smiled and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Just try to show some respect and humility. I might not know much about fighting in this time, but I believe that the first step to becoming a great warrior is to accept that you might not be the great_est_ one. That makes you teachable, which means you'll learn more, which will lead to you becoming even better than you could have imagined."

Sokka listened to Yusei carefully and pondered his words. He replied, "Wow. I never knew you had so much wisdom in you, Yusei."

Yusei's smile widened. "I may have a lot to learn about your time, but I have a lot to teach you about mine, too." Patting Sokka's shoulder once, Yusei began walking toward the village. "I'm going to see what Katara and Crow are up to. You might wanna hurry if you're going to catch the Kyoshi Warriors before they leave the dojo for the day."


	22. The Warriors of Kyoshi Part 5

**A/N**: Sorry it took so long to update this, everyone. You can blame rude reviewers for that. Anyway, here's the next chapter, sorry if it's kind of slow. The next one, if people are polite, should be up sooner and that's when more of the actions begins. Hope you guys enjoy! :)

* * *

Elodie was still fuming at Sokka as she continued to train with the warriors. She had dealt with a fair share of sexism when she was on Zuko's ship with Lieutenant Jee, but at least after she proved herself a warrior he shut up about it. Sokka was not only arrogant, but he was stubborn as well; a dangerous, if not annoying, combination she had come to know of very well from Jack Atlas. And then Sokka had had the _gall _to point out her weaknesses as if she didn't know they were there!

But she knew he was wrong. She wasn't training with the Kyoshi Warriors just to save face. At least, that wasn't the _only_ reason. Elodie wanted to make sure she was prepared the next time they were attacked, and she wasn't sure she could trust the training Iroh had given her anymore. Training helped her feel prepared and strengthened. She _needed _this training.

But part of her knew – the part with that annoying, nagging voice in the back of her mind – was arguing Sokka's point. Her reaction to everything that had happened in this world had been less than honorable. When she lost her powers, something broke inside of her that she was desperately trying to repair. She no longer had that helpful advantage of sensing the feelings and presence of others, and only now did she realize how heavily she had relied upon it. That, along with the barbarity of this world she was in and the loss of her closest friends, had battered her spirit. It was her shame in her lack of knowledge, pride, and composure that really drove her to train with the Warriors. She was trying to save face, which made her no better than Sokka was.

"Uh... hey, Suki."

Elodie and the other Kyoshi warriors stopped and looked up to see Sokka standing in the doorway once again. Now up in the front of the group next to Suki, Elodie huffed irritably and glared at Sokka, her arms folded across her chest.

"Hoping for another dance lesson?" Suki asked mockingly.

"No!" Sokka replied hastily. "I…. well, let me explain-"

"Spit it out!" Suki snapped. "What do you want?"

Elodie watched Sokka suspiciously, wondering the same thing as Suki. She noticed Sokka's arrogant, flippant air was gone, replaced by something more meek and apologetic. To all the girls' ultimate shock, Sokka got down on both knees before Suki, his head bowed submissively, and said, "I would be honored if you would teach me."

Elodie's jaw dropped. Part of her was sure this was a trick, or that she had misheard. Another part of her was incredibly humbled that Sokka had swallowed his pride when she couldn't.

"Even if I'm a _girl_?" Suki asked, her arms folded as she looked down at Sokka through narrowed eyes.

"I'm sorry if I insulted you earlier," Sokka apologized quietly. "I was… wrong."

The dojo was deathly silent as Suki said, "We normally don't teach outsiders, let alone boys. We've already made an exception with your friend Elodie."

"Please make another exception," Sokka pleaded, looking up at Suki before bowing his head even lower. "I won't let you down."

Suki looked over at Elodie, her eyebrow cocked in question. Elodie was shocked she was even asking her opinion; it was now clear that Sokka was more worthy of Suki's teaching that she was. But instead of saying so, Elodie just nodded once.

"All right," Suki decided, looking back down at Sokka. "But you have to follow all of our traditions."  
**  
**"Of course!" Sokka agreed hastily, his eyes hopeful and earnest.

"Suki," Elodie whispered, realizing what was about to happen, "that really isn't nec-"

"And I mean _all_ of them," Suki stressed, a devious smile on her face.

Sokka looked back and forth hesitantly between Elodie and Suki before replying, "Yes, I understand."

Suki nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, then. Elodie, can you please take our new recruit to the back and suit him up?"

"'Suit me up'?" Sokka repeated, getting to his feet. He looked suddenly alarmed. "What do you mean?"

Elodie bit her lip, not sure whether to groan or laugh, and gave Suki a pleading, "Why me?" look. Suki's returned expression told her she had no choice, so with a sigh, Elodie grabbed Sokka's arm and led him through the giggling group of girls to the back room, where the Kyoshi Warrior uniforms were kept.

* * *

TEN MINUTES LATER…

"Why did I agree to this?" Sokka groaned from behind the screen.

"I've been wondering that since you walked in the door," Elodie replied with a laugh. She had Sokka's armor, headband, and arm guards loading in her arms as Sokka put on the dress behind a screen in the back room. She almost laughed as she listened to Sokka struggle with the material, though part of her wondered if she should call Katara to help him. A moment later, however, Sokka stepped out from behind the screen.

"Alright, I'm decent… if you can call it that," Sokka grumbled.

Elodie, who had her back turned, looked over her shoulder to see Sokka wearing the thick green battle dress. She let out a squeak and quickly turned away again, biting down on her knuckles so she wouldn't laugh too hard. She knew Sokka's pride was injured enough, and she didn't want to make it worse.

"I know, go ahead and laugh," Sokka said, throwing up a hand. "I probably deserve it."

Having fully composed herself, Elodie turned and approached Sokka with an almost straight face. "I'm sorry, Sokka. It'll look better with the armor on."

"Help me get it on, then," Sokka sighed, raising his arms up to shoulder-length. Sticking the arm guards and the headband in her belt, Elodie stopped at Sokka's side and raised the armor over his head. There were two pieces, the back and the front, connected by thick shoulder straps like a harness. As she lowered it over Sokka's head, the water tribe boy turned to look at her, his expression full of apology and humility again. "Elodie… I'm really sorry about what I said about you earlier. I was wrong."

Elodie nodded and smiled at him. "Actually, you were right. I was just too prideful to admit it."

"But you were right, too," Sokka insisted as Elodie adjusted the armor on Sokka's shoulders and began tying a long green belt around his waist. "I guess we were both being a bit stubborn, huh?"

Elodie laughed once as she replied, "I suppose so. I bet it's hard for you to go from being the biggest, strongest man in your tribe to getting your butt kicked by a girl."

"And I'll bet it's hard to go from being a psychic who knows everything to being a normal girl who knows nothing. Not that you're normal," Sokka added hurriedly. "I mean, you're not abnormal, you're normal in a good way, but you're different too-"

"I got the point, Sokka," Elodie said, really laughing this time as she finished tying the belt. "Keep your arms up, I'm going to put your guards on."

Sokka watched as Elodie took a couple steps back from him, pulled one of the arm guards out of her belt, and began to slide it into his gloved hand. "Elodie," he continued humbly, "I also want to apologize for… teasing you about you and Crow. That was a bit below the belt."

Elodie felt a stirring of anxiety in her stomach suddenly blossom into a feeling of warmth and comfort at the memory of the night before. "It's alright. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. Crow was just comforting me because of… you know, my powers."

"What was it like for you," he suddenly asked, "when you lost your psychic abilities?"

Elodie paused for a moment in strapping the guard to Sokka's forearm, a pained expression crossing her face fleetingly. "It was… it was like I had lost all connection to the world. I could see what was going on around me, but it was like I was completely detached. It's like… going blind or deaf. I lost a major sense, and I felt very vulnerable and helpless, like… like I was the only person in existence."

"Even when Zuko found you?"

"Even then." Elodie had moved around to Sokka's other side and was strapping the last guard on his wrist. "Actually, it was when I saw him in the rescue boat I realized my powers were gone. Their ship had a spotlight on me, half submerged in water and clinging onto a chunk of ice for dear life, and when Zuko and his boat came into the light…. I could see them, but it felt as if no one was there. It was actually quite terrifying. I didn't know if I could trust him or not, but I didn't have any other choice."

Done with the arm guard, Elodie grabbed a stool and pushed Sokka onto it. "I need to do your face paint now," she told him, grabbing a bowl full of white paste from a nearby table."

"Wha- _face paint_?" Sokka exclaimed, jumping from the stool. "No way, I didn't sign up for this!"

"Suki said _every tradition,_" Elodie reminded him with a smirk, pushing him back down and pulling her gloves off. "This is a tradition."

Sokka sighed in resignation and watched with a sinking feeling of dread as Elodie dipped her fingers into the pain and raised them to his forehead. The paint felt cold and sticky when it touched Sokka's skin, and he could already feel it seeping into his pores and hardening as Elodie spread it down the bridge of his nose and onto his cheeks. He watched her face as she worked: she was biting her lower lip in concentration, her eyes narrowed slightly as they followed the path of white her fingers were leaving on his skin.

"You know," he said suddenly as she dipped her fingers back into the paint bowl, "I'm glad you guys told us the truth. About where you come from, I mean. It would be hard to trust you guys if you had kept up that story about the shipwreck."

Elodie gave a slight laugh as her eyes widened in surprise. "Are you saying you trust me already?"

"I'm letting you paint my face, aren't I?"

"Good point," Elodie chortled, starting to paint his face again. "I just kind of thought we would be clashing with each other all the time. We are pretty similar, after all."

"Oh, we probably will be," Sokka replied with his own smirk. "We'll just know that at the end of the day, we can still be friends."

Elodie gave Sokka the first true smile he had ever seen. "That'll be nice."

* * *

"Hey Aang, wait up!" Crow called, running toward the younger airbender as he was walking from the forest. This was the first time Crow had seen the Avatar without all of his new fans, so he figured this was his best chance to get something done. "You wanna go somewhere to practice airbending?"

Aang smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Crow, I can't."

Crow moved to walk alongside his fellow airbender and frowned in confusion. "You can't? You mean you _won't_. C'mon, I found this great place in the forest that'll be perfect for-"

"I'm sorry, Crow, but I already made plans," Aang repeated, giving Crow a mischievous smile. "I'm going to ride the Unagi!"

"Wait- you're gonna _what?_" Crow cried. "The _Unagi?_ You mean that thing that almost _killed _us yesterday?"

"Yup!"

Crow glowered at the little airbender. "That group of fan girls that's been following you around won't be there, will they?"

"They're actually waiting for me on the beach," Aang said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Crow heaved a long, irritated sigh. "Figures. Whatever, pal, I guess I'll just find something else to do… is that _Sokka?!"_

The pair had just walked past the open doorway of the Kyoshi Warriors' dojo, through which three people could be seen: one was obviously Suki and the other was just as obviously Elodie, but the third was only recognizable because of his partially-shaved head and short ponytail. Sokka was completely decked out in the Kyoshi Warrior battle dress and make-up, and Suki and Elodie were both standing smugly by, though the latter seemed a little more sympathetic to the water tribe warrior's obvious plight.

"Bravery and honor," the two airbenders heard Sokka say proudly as they walked past the doorway.

Aang could not resist. He backed up a couple steps, poked his head through the door, and happily said, "Hey, Sokka! Nice dress."

Crow thought he was going to die laughing as Sokka immediately slumped forward in embarrassment, no longer looking so brave and honorable. He caught sight of Elodie and winked at her, and she beamed in return as the two airbenders walked back out of sight.

Suki noticed the gesture and smiled knowingly. "You know Elodie, I'm basically going to be teaching Sokka everything I've already taught you. Why don't you go on and catch up with your friends, explore a little bit of the island? I can handle him."

"Wait, what?!" Sokka cried, his voice cracking as it went up a few pitches as he whirled around to Elodie. "You're leaving me with _her?_"

Elodie patted Sokka's shoulder in mock sympathy. "Sokka, you're a big boy, I think you can handle being with a girl by yourself. Besides, I won't be able to do much around here." She turned and ran out of the dojo, waving good-bye to Suki as she left, and quickly caught up to Aang and Crow.

"Hey!" Crow said in delight when he saw Elodie approaching. "What happened to training with Suki? And what's up with Sokka?"

"Sokka's being taught a good hard lesson right now," Elodie replied with a satisfied smirk. "I just wanted to see what you guys were up to."

"I'm gonna ride the Unagi!" Aang said excitedly. "You wanna come watch?"

"The Unagi?" Elodie repeated in alarm. "You mean the giant see serpent thingy that tried to eat you yesterday?"

"Yeah, he's ditching us to impress a bunch of village girls," Crow scoffed, still in high disproval. "And Yusei's with Katara right now. But I'm bored and free, so can I show you something?"

Elodie laughed. "Sure, Crow! I just want to change into some regular clothes and take a quick peak inside the blacksmith's shop. I really want to get myself some actual weapons. I mean, no offense to the Kyoshi Warriors or anything, but I don't know if I can fight with just a fan."

"Okay! I'll meet you at the shop after you've changed?"

"Sounds like a deal!"

"And that sounds like my cue to go!" Aang declared, turning and running back toward the village with his super-airbending speed. "Catch ya guys later!"


	23. The Warriors of Kyoshi Part 6

Several minutes later found Elodie and Crow walking through the forest surrounding the village. Elodie had lost the battle dress and face paint and was proudly sporting a new bow, a quiver of arrows, which were strapped securely across her chest, and a belt with hidden throwing and fighting knives, along with the two fans she had received from the Kyoshi Warriors. Her clothes included a long, leaf-green dress with quarter-length sleeves and a loose skirt, tan leggings and boots, an evergreen vest that went down to her knees and was belted at the waist, and white bandages that wrapped around her forearms and ended at a pair of green, fingerless gloves just like Sokka's. Her hair was French-braided on the sides and pulled back into a long ponytail to keep it out of her face.

"So no Water Tribe geddup, huh?" Crow observed conversationally.

Elodie hugged her arms and looked down at the ground in embarrassment. "It just felt wrong wearing them… since, you know, the only time I've been to the Southern Water Tribe was to attack it. I'm more comfortable this way."

Crow shrugged. "If you say so. Although, do you really need all the pointy things?"

"I want to be prepared," Elodie replied, gazing suspiciously around the trees as if some enemy was going to lunge out from their shadows and attack at any second. "I was caught off-guard in the last fight, blinded by tricks and lies. Now that my sight is clear, I want a second chance to prove myself."

"Prove yourself to who?" Crow asked. "Sokka? Zuko? I think they all already know what a kick-butt fighter you are, El."

"I know, but…" Elodie trailed off, not sure how to say what was on her mind.

"But you want to prove it to yourself, right?" Crow finished after a moment of silence. "Fill in the void your powers left behind?"

Elodie stopped walking, her shoulders slumping as her eyes fell to the ground shamefully. "I feel so helpless without my powers," she muttered. "So _vulnerable_. How can I help you guys if I don't have that advantage anymore?"

"Well, Yusei and I have been managing just fine," Crow observed quietly. "You don't always have to be taking care of us, you know. We're all big, tough boys, we can handle ourselves."

"I know you can… but, still… I feel as if I'm letting you guys down or something."

"Letting us down how?" Crow asked, stepping in front of Elodie and forcing her to look up into his eyes. "Because you don't know where everyone is? Because you didn't know who to trust? We're all in that very same boat with you, if you haven't noticed. This is how we've managed our whole lives back home, and we can do it again here. Besides, El," Crow added, his eyes glistening with excitement as he gripped Elodie's hands tightly, "Look around! We have a whole new world to explore, full of adventures beyond anything we ever could have imagined back in New Domino City! We should enjoy it, not fight against it!"

Elodie gazed around the trees and gave Crow a skeptical look. With a small sigh, Crow took one of Elodie's hands and began pulling her down the trail. "C'mon. I want to show you something."

The pair walked in silence for a few minutes until they reached the place Crow had wanted to show Aang earlier: a small, circular clearing covered in snow opening up to a wide blue sky above them. Crow gestured Elodie to walk to the center of the clearing, and she did, gazing at the barren trees and the unbelievably clear sky as she turned in a slow circle on the spot. She didn't see anything extraordinary.

"I don't see any-" Elodie began to say, but she cut herself off with a cry as something suddenly hit her from the side. She felt herself being flipped around and found herself on Crow's back, her arms wrapped like a vice around his neck as he held her legs. He was moving as fast as wind, the entire world blurring into streams of brown and white and blue around them.

"Hold on tight, El!" Crow shouted gleefully as he leapt off the ground, using his airbending to accelerate his jump and push himself higher off the ground. They shot up about twenty feet into the air, Crow laughing all the while, and Elodie cried out in alarm as she felt themselves begin to drop. Crow reached out and grabbed a branch halfway down and began using his airbending to jump from tree to tree, taking them higher and higher up until they were on a sturdy branch at the top of a large oak.

"I _love_ being an airbender!" Crow laughed gleefully as he carefully set Elodie down on the branch, keeping on arm around her waist.

"_Crow!_" Elodie yelled, clinging tightly to his shoulder with one hand and to the branch above her with the other as she stared fearfully down at the ground far below them. "Don't _ever _do that again without telling me first!"

"Oh, come on, you mean you didn't have even the teensiest bit of fun?" Crow teased.

"That was terrifying!"

"But still fun, right? And hey, stop looking at the ground! I'm not gonna let you fall, and there's nothing interesting down there. What I wanted to show you is right in front of us." Crow gently took hold of her chin and raised her head so she was looking out. "Take a look."

Elodie gasped, finally understanding why Crow had brought her up here. The view was _incredible_. She could see the entire island from where they were perched, all the way out to the open sea, which glistened in the dazzling sunlight shining down from above. A winter breeze stirred around them, playing with Elodie's hair and making the fletching on her arrows shiver. Elodie leaned forward slightly to get a better view, and Crow reached up to grab the branch above him while keeping a firm arm around her waist. She could see mountains and forest trees rising up around her and behind her, as if watching her back as she kept her eyes on the sea. A flock of birds flew overhead, singing a joyful winter song as the smell of pine and salt and forest mixed in the breeze, creating a smell more fresh and lively than anything Elodie could have ever smelled in the city.

"Oh my gosh, Crow," she whispered, stretching out her free hand and feeling the wind comb around her fingers. "This is… I can't even…"

"I know, right?" Crow murmured, grinning as he looked out on the view. "_This_ is what it's all about. We never would have seen anything like this in New Domino City. So what if a mistake brought us here? So what if we've had a couple of setbacks these last few weeks? We can either stay down and grumble about everything we've lost or take this chance and see what we've gained! There's a whole world for us to discover while we search for the others, an opportunity that we never would have dreamed of back in the city!" Crow looked back at Elodie, his smile softening as he watched her awestruck face. "And when we're with the people we care about, that makes it even better."

Elodie's eyes locked on Crow's as she looked around at him, and his arm tightened slightly around her waist. She beamed at him as a blush crawled onto her cheeks, despite the cold wind. "It's beautiful," she murmured.

"Yeah," Crow replied simply. Elodie grinned again and let her head fall onto his shoulder, turning again to gaze out at the amazing, mysterious world laid out before them. Crow also looked out at the scenery, inwardly congratulating himself for cheering Elodie up and helping her see the good in this world. He understood that finding Akiza, Bruno, and Jack, as well as helping the Avatar, needed to be at the top of their group's list of priorities, but if he could just take a moment once in a while to appreciate this world with the girl he cared about… well, that was good enough for him.

As another chilly wind swept over the pair's tree, Elodie's head shot up, her eyes turned toward the sea as her nostrils flaring, catching an alarmingly familiar, unnatural scent mixed in with the wind. Crow looked over at her and saw that her eyes had widened into blank disks of shock.

"Elodie, what's…" he began, but trailed off as he looked out and spotted what had caught her attention. There was a small column of black smoke rising above the trees. It came from the direction of the beach, drawing closer and closer to the tree line. "Is that a ship?"

"_Zuko,"_ Elodie hissed, a surprising amount of hatred in her tone. "It looks like seeing the world is going to have to wait."

* * *

"Aang! Katara!" Yusei cried in a harsh whisper as he scrambled around the rocks to where the Unagi had thrown his two friends out of the water. Aang's attempt to ride the sea monster had not gone quite as planned, and he was still unconscious from the thrashing around the monster had given him. Katara had her arms around him as they lay huddled behind the cover of a small alcove-like space amongst the rocks. Yusei had gone with Katara after she had fretted about Aang's safety, and when the Unagi had attacked, Katara had gone out to save him.

"Aang!" Katara cried. "Aang, wake up!"

"Shh, Katara!" Yusei hushed, holding a finger to his lips, his blue eyes wide and full of urgency. "We have another problem on our hands!"

He pointed over the rocks, and he and Katara slowly crept up to peak over the top. Heading toward the beach was a large, very familiar black-metal ship.

"Zuko!" Katara gasped.

"That guy really has timing!" Yusei growled angrily as the two ducked back behind the rocks. They could hear the prow lowering and the sound of heavy footsteps, along with the snorts of several large beasts. Yusei risked a peak again, and his jaw dropped when he saw Prince Zuko and his men riding what looked to be rhinoceroses with lizard tails, clawed feet, and three sharp, slender horns on its face.

"I want the Avatar alive!" they heard Zuko order.

"Yusei, get down!" Katara whispered, grabbing the front of Yusei's shirt and pulling him down next to her. The pair with the unconscious Avatar waited anxiously until the rhinos had passed, heading straight up the path toward the village. Katara picked Aang up and moved him onto a smoother rock, laying him on his back. Yusei scrambled around to Aang's other side, watching the unconscious airbender for any sign of movement.

"Wake up, Aang!" Katara begged, her ice blue eyes full of worry. Yusei hunched over and held his ear over the airbender's open mouth.

"He's not breathing!" he said urgently.

"He must have swallowed some of the water," Katara rationalized, holding her hand over his chest, right where his lungs were. She slowly moved her hand up toward his mouth and pulled upward, and a large glob of water escaped from between his lips. Aang suddenly shuddered and coughed, his eyes creaking open.

"Katara? Yusei?" he croaked tiredly.

"Aang!" Yusei breathed as Katara smiled hopefully. "Thank goodness."

Aang blinked blearily at them. "Don't ride the Unagi," he advised. "Not fun."

* * *

"Come out, Avatar!" Zuko demanded. "You can't hide from me forever!"

The village on Kyoshi Island was deserted. No people were in sight as the small wooden houses creaked in the chilly wind. Zuko issued the order to his guards: "Find him."

Three of the Komodo Rhinos, each one bearing two soldiers, proceeded down through the middle of the village. The plan was simple: burn the village to the ground until they either found the Avatar or he decided to show himself. Zuko was confident it wouldn't be long until the last airbender was back in his grasp.

What he didn't count on was the Kyoshi Warriors.

The soldiers had only gone halfway down the main street of the village when the green-clad warriors attacks, leaping from their hiding places on the rooftops and kicking Zuko's men off their mounts. The soldiers, taken by surprise, had no time to defend themselves as the elite warriors attacked. Suki went straight for Zuko, running through the battle and launching herself at the prince, but Zuko saw it coming and turned his rhino so its tail swatted her like a fly to the ground. Zuko shot a gout of fire at her, but Sokka, still dressed in the Kyoshi Warrior uniform, ran in front of her and deflected the blast with his fans, knocking Zuko backward off his mount with his own flame.

"I guess training's over," Sokka said to Suki as the pair ran back into the fray.


	24. The Warriors of Kyoshi Part 7

First off, sorry it took so long to get this updated! I was struggling hard core with this for some reason, plus school has been getting really busy. I've seen a couple questions in reviews concerning Elodie, and I just want to let you all know quick that if you want to know her full back story with the 5Ds gang, you can go read my story titled "The Crow and The Dove." That's how she's included with the gang and might clear up some questions for you. Anyways, enjoy this last part for The Warriors of Kyoshi!

* * *

Zuko cried out as he was thrown of his mount and crashed down onto the front porch of a building, knocking off his helmet in the process. He growled as he opened his eyes to find three Kyoshi warriors, including Sokka and Suki his feet in , surrounding him. Zuko pushed himself up on his hands and spun around on them, shooting fire from his feet in a wide arc. One warrior was thrown back through the doorway of the building and Suki was slammed against a pillar. Sokka jumped over the first blast of fire that came his way, but Zuko kicked up his feet and tripped him as he came down, and the Water Tribe warrior fell flat on his back with a pained grunt. Zuko leapt over the prone warriors and into the street, staring around him.

"Nice try, Avatar!" he yelled, knowing the airbender had to be within earshot. "But these little girls won't save you!"

"You wanna make a bet, you highness?"

Zuko looked up at the sound of the startlingly familiar voice and saw a green and yellow blur flying toward them. The green-clad figure separated from the yellow and crashed into Zuko, wrapping her arms around his waist and knocking both of them off of the porch and away from the prone warriors. They rolled down the middle of the street for a few seconds before Zuko managed to get his feet under him and throw his attacker off of him with an angry shout. The figure rolled onto her feet and stood facing him, and Zuko discovered his new opponent wasn't a Kyoshi Warrior. It was Elodie Kumari, dressed in Earth Kingdom garb and wielding the same fans the Kyoshi Warriors used along with the quiver and bow strapped to her back and the knives on her belt, her hazel eyes blazing with fury and a lust for vengeance.

"I see you've got some new toys," Zuko growled as he got back up and into a fighting stance.

Elodie crouched down, holding her fans out in front of her and opening them with a flick of her wrists. "That's not the only thing I've got," she growled as she ran forward, holding the fans behind her. Zuko swung a leg up and sent an arc of fire her way, but Elodie cut straight through it with her fans and then swung them in a wide arc, the golden metal slicing through the air toward him. Zuko leaned back and the fans missed him by mere inches, but then Elodie ducked down and kicked him behind the ankles and he, already off balance, went down, gasping in pain as he slammed to the ground on his back.

Elodie stood over him, her expression cold and unforgiving as she pointed one of her fans at him. "This is the only chance you'll have to surrender," she warned.

Zuko growled. "I will never surrender!" he declared, pushing himself up onto his hands and then swinging his feet down, flames trailing from his heels. Elodie leapt back as Zuko, back on his feet, immediately sent a torrent of flames from both fists before she could defend herself. But Elodie leapt nimbly to the side, cartwheeling around Zuko as he swung his arms in an arc toward her, the flames following his movement. Elodie dove forward and rolled toward Zuko, getting up on her hands and spinning on them, her feet spread out over her head. Her heel connected with the back of Zuko's head and he staggered forward, yelling in fury as lights flashed in front of his eyes. He growled in the back of his throat as Elodie got up and ran to attack him from behind, but Zuko surprised her by throwing his arm back and crashing it into her stomach, throwing her backward. She cried out in pain as she crashed into the wall of another building and fell to the ground, her stomach aching as she gasped for breath. She raised her head and struggled to sit up as Zuko ran at her, his hands wreathed in flame and his eyes blazing. Just as Zuko was about to attack, a yellow and orange clad figure leapt from the roof and landed in front of Elodie. With a furious roar, Crow thrust upward with his staff and sent a wave of wind crashing into the fire prince, throwing him backward and extinguishing the flame as he crashed into the building behind him with a surprised shout.

"So_ you're_ the Fire Prince that's been giving my friends so much grief," Crow said standing straight and glaring at his opponent. "I've kinda been hoping to run into you."

"_Another airbender?!_" Zuko exclaimed in shock. "I thought the Avatar was the last one!"

"It seems as though your great-grandfather's genocide wasn't as successful as you thought," Elodie growled as she got to her feet and drew her bow from around her head, placing an arrow on the string. Zuko jumped back onto his feet, running at the pair with another furious shout, but before anyone could attack, a third person rammed into Zuko from the side, knocking the prince off his course and back into the dirt.

"Yusei!" Crow exclaimed as Zuko looked up to see the spiky-haired Water Tribe boy draw his broadswords from their scabbard and hold them up defensively.

"I'm not letting you destroy another village," Yusei growled at the fire prince.

Zuko snarled and kicked a fire blast out from his heel, but Yusei blocked the blast by crossing his swords and swinging them outward, slicing through the flame. He ran straight at his opponent and Zuko swung his leg out to trip him, but Yusei saw it coming and jumped over it, holding his swords over his head and swinging them down toward the prince. Zuko held up a forearm to stop the blades and punched out with his other hand, and Yusei twisted away just in time to avoid another fire blast as Zuko leapt to his feet. Crow ran to assist his friend as Elodie drew her arrow and fired, aiming at Zuko's arm as he punched it forward to shoot more fire at Yusei. The arrow slammed against the armor on Zuko's forearm, knocking his shot off-balance, and Crow ran up behind him and used airbending to jump high into the air, swinging his foot around and landing a kick on the side of Zuko's head. Zuko stumbled back with a cry but retained his feet, clutching his forearm and the side of his head as stars exploded in his vision. When he shook his head clear, he looked up and saw Crow, Yusei, and Elodie all standing together, facing him with various weapons drawn and determined looks on their faces.

"You wanna have another go, hothead?" Crow challenged menacingly.

Zuko growled furiously and shot fire daggers out of his fists, though he knew this three-on-one battle was a lost cause. Even if he had thought he could beat them, he had no time to fight the trio with the Avatar hiding out somewhere in the village! Several of the buildings were already burnt down or still on fire, and Zuko's soldiers were still fighting the Kyoshi Warriors all around him, At this rate they would all be captured, but Zuko was stubborn. He was not leaving until the Avatar was in his grasp!

"Hey! Over here!"

Zuko turned at saw exactly who he was looking for standing in the center of the street, facing him with his staff held out defensively, his childish face furrowed into an angry glare. _"Finally," _Zuko breathed, turning from the trio to face his new opponent.

"Crow! Elodie! Yusei!" Aang called out. "Go help the other Kyoshi Warriors! Keep the villagers safe!"

"Be careful, Aang!" Crow called as the trio ran off to do as Aang had commanded, leaving the Avatar to deal with the Fire Nation prince. Zuko threw two fistfuls of fire from his fists, grunting loudly at each one. Aang dodged them both and spun his glider over his head to fly himself to stand a few yards in front of Zuko. The fire prince kicked the staff out of Aang's hands and the airbender leapt away with a cry, using airbending to pick up the pair of fans Elodie had dropped in her battle. If Avatar Kyoshi had once used these things as weapons, maybe he could find some use for them, too.

Zuko growled loudly as he ran at Aang, his fist held out in front of him as he prepared to attack. Aang spun in a slow circle with the fans held out in front of him, grunting as he jumped up and spun horizontally in the air before alighting on his feet and, with a shout, thrust the fans downward, sending a powerful gust of air barreling into Zuko's body. The fire prince cried out as he was forced backward, right off his feet, and crashed into a building behind him, straight through the wall and into the house. Aang knew he wasn't going to be coming out anytime soon.

Aang closed the fans in his hands and pushed them into his belt, thinking that Elodie might want them back. His expression was rather forlorn as he picked up his staff and threw it into the air, jumping up to grab it and fly over the village. All around him, buildings were on fire and villagers were struggling to either escape Fire Nation soldiers or put out the flames. Looking back, he could see Avatar Kyoshi's newly repaired statue engulfed in flames, as if to signify the loss in this victory.

* * *

"This way, kids!" Crow said as he and Katara helped two little children off the street and into the safety of a stable building.

"Get inside," Katara added as the two kids ran into the shelter. A slight gust of wind behind the pair told them of Aang's arrival, and they both looked around to see him walking over to them, very clearly distressed.

"Look what I brought to this place," he said, gesturing at the half-destroyed village, his voice heavy with guilt.

"It's not your fault," Katara tried to reason, but Aang would not hear it.

"Yes, it is. These people got their town destroyed trying to protect me.

"Then let's get out of here," Katara said as the girls in the shelter behind her watched the exchange from the doorway. "Zuko will leave Kyoshi to follow us. I know it feels wrong to run, but I think it's the only way."

"Katara's right, Aang," Crow said, stepping forward and putting a hand on the younger airbender's shoulders. "We had a good fight, but when innocent people start getting involved like this, it's best to make sure they stay out of it."

Aang hung his head in defeat. "I'll call Appa."

Little did Aang know that Appa was already being taken care of by Elodie and Yusei, who were hurriedly packing the group's things into the saddle to prepare for a hasty retreat. "Crow, Aang, and Katara should be coming any moment," Yusei said from up in the saddle as he secured the last bundle with a rope. "Where's Sokka?"

"I'll go find him," declared Elodie, who was on the ground, as she turned and ran back toward the village, keeping an eye out for Zuko as she fought off a couple soldiers with either her bow or with hand-to-hand combat. She had lost her fans in her battle with the Fire Prince, and she had left her belt of knives in Appa's saddle, finding the extra weight limited her movements. Maybe Crow was right: she didn't need all those pointy things. Just in front of her, two warriors were facing off against a couple of soldiers, one throwing a closed fan at the face of a soldier to knock him out.

"There's no time to say goodbye."

"What about, 'I'm sorry'?"

"For what?"

Elodie heard the voices from a nearby building and immediately recognized them as Sokka and Suki's. Curiosity getting the better of her, Elodie pressed herself against the side wall of the house and peeked around the corner. The pair of them were crouched behind the wall, facing one another.

"I treated you like a girl," Sokka was saying, "when I should have treated you like a warrior."

"I am a warrior," said Suki. Then, taking both Sokka and Elodie by surprise, the lead Kyoshi Warrior leaned forward and kissed Sokka on the cheek. Sokka's jaw dropped and eyes widened as he put a hand to his face and Suki added, "But I'm a girl too."

Sokka blushed beneath his makeup, staring at Suki as if she was some creature he had never discovered before – which, in a way, she was. Elodie scrambled back out of sight as Suki got to her feet and stepped back out from behind the building, taking out her fans and opening them. "Now get out of here!" she urged. "We'll hold them off."

As Suki took off running back toward the village, Sokka shook himself and got up to run back to where Appa was waiting for them at the edge of the village. Elodie watched him go for a moment, a strange mixture of irritation and amusement stirring within her, before getting up and following him up Appa's tail and into the saddle.

"Appa, yip-yip!" Aang ordered, pulling up on the reigns as Appa groaned and jumped up into the air, flying over the smoking village. Zuko, who had finally detangled himself from the broken wood he had crashed through and rejoined the battle, looked up, saw the sky bison, and yelled at his soldiers.

"Back to the ship! Don't lose sight of them!"

"That rotten little scumbag never gives up, does he?" Crow growled as he looked down and saw Zuko's mostly bald head and the helmets of the soldiers racing out of the village on a Komodo Rhino. Elodie sat back away from the edge of the saddle with a scowl on her face.

"No," she said. "He doesn't."

"By the way, you look good in Kyoshi makeup, Sokka," said Yusei jokingly to the Water Tribe warrior. "Is there something you need to tell us?"

"Oh, back off, Yusei," Sokka snapped as he struggled to wipe off the thick makeup on his sleeves. Elodie noticed he was still blushing from Suki's kiss and smiled to herself.

Katara leaned over the front of the saddle to look down at Aang, who was looking down at the bay with a guilty look on his face. "I know it's hard," she consoled, "but you did the right thing. Zuko would have destroyed the whole place if we had stayed. They're going to be okay, Aang."

Aang said nothing for a moment… but then he put down the reigns and jumped off of Appa's head, going down in a vertical dive toward the ocean.

"Aang!" Elodie cried.

"What are you doing?!" shouted Katara.

He didn't answer any of them, but dove straight into the water as Katara, Sokka, Yusei, Elodie, and Momo all watched in shock and horror. Crow leapt out of the saddle and onto Appa's head, getting ready to direct the bison back to retrieve the Avatar, but before he could even say "Yip yip!", the water where Aang had gone under suddenly bubbled and frothed. Suddenly, with a loud, prehistoric roar, the Unagi reared up from the water, Aang holding on to it by its long, whip-like whiskers. The Unagi thrashed its head, trying to throw the airbender off, but Aang managed to get on top of its head and pulled back on the whiskers like reigns. Almost as if on command, the Unagi pulled his head back and opened its mouth, sending a jet of water over the burning village. The water alighted on the village almost like rain, putting out the fires Zuko and his soldiers had created.

"Would you look at that?" said Yusei with a smile.

"That kid is _crazy!_" Crow laughed delightfully from his position on Appa's head, turning to look up at Elodie. "Can we keep him?"

Elodie smiled softly, but didn't answer. The Unagi tossed his head again and Aang cried as he was thrown up into the air. At Crow's direction, Appa swooped down and caught his airbending companion in between his two front feet.

"Thanks, buddy!" Aang said, patting Appa's leg as the sky bison grunted in return. Aang climbed up the bison's body and back into the saddle, smiling apologetically at his companions.

"I know, I know," he said, looking at Katara expectantly as he sat cross-legged in the saddle. "That was stupid and dangerous."

Aang was clearly waiting for a lecture from the Water Tribe girl, but all she said was, "Yes, it was," before lunging forward and hugging him. Aang gasped in delight as his face lit up with joy, and then he sighed contentedly, closing his eyes and still beaming.

"So where to now, Aang?" Crow called from the reigns, clearly very excited at an opportunity to drive the sky bison.

"The Northern Water Tribe, I hope," said Yusei as Aang and Katara broke apart and turned to face their other companions.

"Almost," said Aang. "First, we have to make a quick stop to a city called Omashu."

"And what kind of crazy, life-threatening adventure will we have to endure there?" asked Sokka sardonically.

"You'll find out!" proclaimed Aang cheekily. "By the way, nice fighting, you guys! I can tell the Kyoshi Warriors did good for you." He turned to Elodie and pulled her fans out of his belt. "I got these back for you," he told the surprised archer with a smile. "I figured you would want them back, so you can keep fighting with them."

Elodie took at golden fans from Aang's hand and stared at them for a moment in wonderment. Then she smiled and tucked them both away in her bag. "Thanks, Aang," she said with a smile, "but I think my bow will work just fine for now. I realized I don't need all these weapons or special powers to be of use to you guys. I will do my best as I am, and that will be good enough."

Crow looked back and grinned proudly. "That's my girl."


	25. Imprisoned Part 1

**Imprisoned**

"Here it is, Akiza!" Professor Zei declared, spreading out his hands before him. "The Earth Kingdom city of Omashu!"

Akiza stared in awe and excitement at the grand city at the top of the mountain. It was an architectural wonder unlike anything she had seen in her time. Smooth walls of earth rose from the tip of the mountain, surrounding the city with its four mountain peaks covered in buildings and what looked like some kind of railway system, all made from smooth stone. It was truly an impressive sight to behold.

As the Akiza, Zei, and Chie all walked down the narrow switchback road toward the city, the professor told Akiza all about the legend of the two lovers who were separated by war and built the city to bring their people together, as well as the different architectural styles and the history of its kings and people. Akiza soon discovered that the railway was actually a system of chutes which earthbenders used to deliver mail. It amazed her that such strong, able-bodied people could move an element as sturdy and solid as the earth.

The guards at the gates of the city weren't exactly the friendliest of people, but when Professor Zei politely explained their desire for an audience with the king concerning a special journey, they let them pass. The city was even more incredible on the inside, a large labyrinth of chutes and tunnels and green-roof-topped houses. Two of the earthbending soldiers escorted Akiza, Chie, and the professor through the city and up to the palace where Omashu's king, Bumi, dwelled.

Akiza wasn't sure how to react to Bumi. His aged and wrinkled skin looked even more so in the eerie green light of the palace, and his elaborate purple robe and feather-topped hat did not help play down his eccentric appearance. There were heavy bags under his eyes, one of which seemed to be in a permanent squint so it looked smaller than the other, and his face was covered in age spots and wrinkles. His white hair was spiky and stuck out wildly from the side of his head and chin; even his bushy eyebrows were spiky. Akiza had the sudden image of him in a modern lab coat and stethoscope and thought he would make a perfect mad scientist. His hands, just visible through the large sleeves of his robe, were like those of a withered ape, the fingers long and crooked, donning several large rings. Even sitting down, Akiza thought she could see a humped back on the old man. As she and Zei knelt respectfully before the king's throne, she noticed the old man eying her very curiously and smirking. A small shiver went down her spine, and beside her, Chie whined and lay down on the hall floor, her muzzle between her paws.

"Your majesty," said one of the guards who had escorted them, gesturing to the kneeling group, "these two travelers have come a long way seeking an audience with you concerning a journey to be made in the Batola mountains. They desire supplies and support for their trip from the city of Omashu."

Bumi looked back at the travelers for several long moments… and then started laughing, his mad cackles broken off by an occasional loud snort. Akiza flinched at the sound, rather startled by the strange reaction, but as soon as the king had started laughing, he stopped.

"A journey to the Batolas, you say?" he said in a wheezy sort of voice that sounded like two rocks being ground together. "You don't happen to be searching for the Avatar, do you?"

Akiza gasped. "Yes! Yes, your majesty! We have reason to believe that a few friends of mine-"

"Are travelling with him?" Bumi finished with a smile. "Indeed, you are correct. In fact, the Avatar very recently passed through this city with five other youngsters, and two of the boys and one girl in the group had hairdos and names just as unusual as yours, Miss Akiza."

Akiza felt as though she was choking on her own heart as it leapt into her throat. "T-they passed through here?!" she exclaimed. "But… wait, how did you know my name?"

"One of your friends was particularly keen on finding you," the old king explained with a knowing smile that made her blush. "A spiky black and yellow haired young man by the name of Yusei, I believe. He described to me yourself and two other boys in hopes of finding you here, as did an orange-haired airbender named Crow and a female archer named Elodie."

Akiza pressed a fist to her chest, fighting to breathe through the shock and emotion clogging her lungs. "They were here," she gasped, leaning forward and staring down at the tile floor. "I was so close… _so close_…" She suddenly shot her head up. "Did you say Crow was an _airbender?_"

Zei rested a comforting hand on Akiza's back and looked back up to the king. "So am I right in assuming they have already left the city, Your Grace?"

Bumi nodded apologetically. "Unfortunately, the group barely left the city yesterday. I can, however, tell you that they are going to the North Pole, where the young Avatar plans on mastering waterbending."

"The North Pole?" Akiza repeated. That was where Bruno was! So with any luck, they would find him there, and hopefully find Jack as well somewhere along the way. But how would she catch up to them?

"How are they travelling there?" asked Professor Zei with curiosity. "Begging your pardon, your majesty, but that is quite a distance to go by foot."

"I believe they had a pet sky bison named Appa on which they were travelling on," said Bumi. "They can fly quite a distance on that beast, if I remember correctly from my childhood days."

"A sky bison?!" Professor Zei exclaimed, clapping his hands together excitedly. "There's one still in existence? That is absolutely remarkable!"

"From your childhood days?" Akiza repeated the king's words. "Your Majesty, do you mean to say that you _knew_ the Avatar as a child?"

The crazy king cackled again. "No, of course not! I knew him as he is now! Even after a hundred years, my still-young old friend literally has not changed a bit!"

Akiza's jaw dropped. That meant this crazy king had to be over a hundred years old!... Then again, maybe that wasn't so surprising. It certainly explained a lot.

"I'm sorry if I've rendered your journey meaningless," the king continued, "but I'm afraid you won't find anything of use to you in the Southern Air Temple."

Akiza bowed her head, fighting back tears as she clenched her fists in her lap. She had come so close to finding her friends again, and they had slipped right through her fingers without her ever noticing! What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't possibly try and go on a wild goose chase all over the world to the North Pole! She didn't have the time or resources, and there was no way she could track a sky bison on foot.

"However," the king continued, and Akiza looked up to see a warm smile on Bumi's face, "I happen to know that the Avatar and his friends intend to return to Omashu after their journey to the North Pole in order to learn earthbending from yours truly."

Akiza stared at the king. "You're an earthbender?"

King Bumi suddenly smirked and snorted again. "Don't let appearances deceive you, young lady! I am the most powerful earthbender you will ever meet in your entire life! Age has not changed that piece of my existence."

Akiza was still rather doubtful and incredulous, but she decided not to press the matter. "But you said the Avatar and the others would be returning here," she stated. "So… if I were to remain in the city, I would be able to meet up with them when they come back?"

"Yes!" declared King Bumi enthusiastically. "Which is why I brought it up! I am inviting you, Miss Akiza, to stay in Omashu as one of my court! You will be treated and cared for with the greatest respect here in my city, and I promise you will be safe until your friends come for you."

Akiza was breathless with joy as a wide smile lit up her face, and Chie, sensing her master's change in mood, gave a soft, happy bark and wagged her tail. The red-haired traveler knew this would mean staying in Omashu for quite some time, but she honestly didn't mind too much. After everything she had seen and learned of this city, she would have loved to take some time exploring it until she was rejoined with her friends. But then she looked over at Professor Zei, who was gazing at the ground sheepishly, and her smile faded, though did not completely disappear.

"Professor," she said, reaching out and touching the anthropologist's arm, "I understand that you can't stay here. I don't expect you to. You have your own life to take care of, and I am incredibly grateful for you allowing me to stick by you for as long as you have."

Zei looked up at Akiza in surprise, then smiled. "Thank you, Akiza. I am very happy to hear that you understand. If you want your map back-"

"No, keep it," Akiza insisted, pushing the scroll away as Zei pulled it out of his pack and give it back to her. "I have no use for it any longer. And I know how excited you were to explore the Air Temple. I want you to still have that opportunity. It's the least I can do after everything you have done for me."

"Then it's settled!" proclaimed King Bumi, standing from his throne and raising his hands over his head as he did so. "The scientist will continue on his journey while the young woman stays in Omashu! Corporeal, be sure to supply this man with all the supplies he needs for the journey and give him a room to stay in if he needs to rest before leaving. Follow me, Miss Akiza, and I will show you around your new home."

* * *

"I still can't believe how generous King Bumi was when we left Omashu," declared Yusei as he and Crow finished unpacking Appa's saddle. The gang had just set up camp in a forest in the southern part of the Earth Kingdom, having left Omashu the day before and travelled all night and day. It was late afternoon now, and when Aang declared that Appa needed some rest, they set down in the forest and found a round, flat rock surrounded by tall trees and with a small stream coming out from under it: the perfect, secluded camping spot for the little group. Katara was folding some blankets while Aang was lounging on a tree root. Elodie and Sokka had left some time ago to search for food. Crow gave Yusei a skeptical sort of smile of bemusement as he jumped down from Appa's back, alighting on the ground as softly as a falling leaf.

"You mean how he took us prisoner, encased us in rock candy, and forced Aang to go through a series of ridiculous tests all in the name of teaching him a lesson?" he asked pointedly as they two boys joined Katara and Aang on the rock.

"I mean how he gave us all the supplies we needed and promised to help Akiza, Jack, and Bruno if they were to ever turn up there," Yusei corrected.

"Do you really think any of your friends will show up there?" asked Katara, sitting up and folding her hands in her lap as she looked hopefully up at them.

"You never know," replied Crow with a shrug. "More random things have happened to use before."

"King Bumi said he'd find a way to send us a message if any of them were to turn up in the city," said Yusei. "So we'll know if they'll be there when we go back for Aang's earthbending training."

"Learning earthbending from that old geezer oughta be a seriously good time, eh, Aang?" Crow called to the young airbender on the tree, who sat up with a big grin on his face.

"You bet!" he declared enthusiastically. "I can't wait!"

"Hey, let's focus on you mastering waterbending first," said Katara maturely, holding up her hands in caution. "One step at a time, here."

"Fair enough," conceded Aang, leaning back on the tree root only to sit bolt upright again, as the group had all just spotted Sokka walking up the stream toward them, a cloth sack in his hand and Momo flying over his head. "Great, you're back!" Aang declared, jumping down from the tree root as the Water Tribe warrior climbed up on top of the rock.

"Where's Elodie?" asked Crow, looking around.

"We decided to split up to search for food," Sokka explained as the group gathered in around on the center of the rock. "We thought it'd be easier to cover more ground that way. She should be back soon."

"Great!" repeated Aang eagerly, rubbing his hands together as he gazed hungrily at the sack in Sokka's hand. "What's for dinner?"

Sokka opened the sack and began picking through its contents. "We've got a few options. First, round nuts… and some kind of oval shaped nuts… and some rock shaped nuts… that might just be rocks," he answered, pulling the different nuts out of his bag to show them and throwing the latter over his shoulder. Momo looked at the rock/nut with his ever-curious brown eyes, apparently just as skeptical as the rest of the group, but Sokka smiled, apparently pleased with himself, as he declared, "Dig in!"

Katara, Yusei, Crow, and Aang all exchanged looks before turning back to Sokka. "Seriously, what else ya got?" Katara asked.

As if to answer the question, a wad of about half a dozen small, dead fish landed in the center of the group. Aang yelled out and staggered back, waving his arms wildly with a horrified look on his face. Each fish had a gash wound in its side and they were all bundled together by a string of black fishing line tied through their gaping jaws. The group turned to see Elodie standing proudly with her bow on her shoulder and one foot propped up on the rock, her hands still wet and a satisfactory grin on her face.

"Does that answer your question, Katara?" the archer asked as she set down her gear and picked up a bag of firewood she had gathered after fishing. "This stream is teaming with little fish! We just gotta flay the meat off of them, throw 'em on a stick, cook 'em over a fire, and presto! Instant gormet camping meal!"

Sokka goggled at the fish. "Do you get all these with just your bow and arrows?!"

"It wasn't that tough. You just gotta know how quickly the stream is running compared to the speed of the fish and adjust your aim. And make sure they don't see you before you strike."

Katara and Yusei all gave Sokka smirks, remembering well their failed fishing trip the day they discovered Aang in the iceberg. Sokka pouted and glowered at his meager bag of nuts as Yusei, Crow, and Katara all stared hungrily at the fresh food, licking their lips eagerly. Aang, who was standing as far away from the fish as possible, seemed considerably less enthused.

"Um, Elodie," said Aang with a rather disturbed, disgusted look on his face, "you know I'm vegetarian, right?"

Elodie looked up at Aang and blinked in surprise, suddenly remembering the airbender telling King Bumi that he didn't eat meat. "Oh. Um… I don't suppose you would mind eating Sokka's nuts, then, would you?"

Aang, however, never got to answer that question, as a large rumbling noise suddenly shook the forest, causing all heads to turn and search for the source of the noise.

"What was that?!" Sokka exclaimed as the group all stood. Elodie instinctively drew an arrow and put it on her bow string, and Yusei reached back and gripped the swords in the scabbard across his back as Crow and Aang held up their staffs and Sokka put a hand on his whale tooth knife on his belt. A second boom was heard, actually shaking the earth, and Momo, who had actually been smacking one of the rock-nuts on the stone in time with each boom, gave a startled shriek and leapt up onto Crow's shoulder, his fur standing on end.

"It's coming from over there!" Aang cried, pointing as everyone ran off in the direction of the noise.

"Shouldn't we run away from huge booms, not toward them?!" Sokka cried, waving his arms over his head before following the group with an irritated sigh. One day, their curiosity was going to get the best of them, and Sokka just hoped he would be able to say _"I told you so!"_ when that day arrived.

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry for those of you who were hoping I would write The King of Omashu. There's just not enough time and I don't have enough patience to go through and write every single episode of the series, so I'm leaving out a few of the more filler episodes. I just barely decided to use Imprisoned because I think it'll be a good way to show how the Gaang and Team 5Ds are adapting to each other and learning to work together. I kind of threw a wrench into Akiza's plans (I'll bet ya didn't see that coming! Haha!), but that's only because I have something better planned for her. On another note, a couple of reviews have asked about what Jack has been up to, and just so everyone knows, he will be making a reappearance in I believe the next part coming up. Unfortunately, I don't know when I'll be able to update next. I only have a couple weeks left of school, and since my school doesn't have a spring break (lame!) there's not a whole lot of time to do anything but study, especially with finals creeping up on me. Ideally, I should be able to get back on track once school is over, though I will be working a lot of the time. Thank you all so much for your patience and for your reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Happy Easter!

_**PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	26. Imprisoned Part 2

It didn't take long for the gang to track down the source of the booming noise. Peering over a fallen tree, Elodie, Yusei, Crow, Aang, Katara, and Sokka all watched a young boy practicing earthbending moves in the riverbed, now nearly completely dry, which the last strains of the little stream leaked into. The earthbender had to be somewhere between Sokka and Elodie in age and about at Yusei in height, and he had long brown hair partially pulled up into a small bun on the top of his head, the rest held back by a green headband with two chin-length strands framing his face. He had a lean figure and was dressed in a tan tunic lined with Earth Kingdom green, a long sleeved dark brown undershirt and pants with darker cuffs at the wrists and ankles, and brown moccasin-like shoes. He had a sharp, handsome face with green eyes that might have once been kind, but were now more saddened and serious. They watched as the boy hefted a boulder a couple of feet above the ground, rotated it around his body, and pushed it into the river bank, all without even touching it once. Elodie, Crow, and Yusei were all still marveling at this incredible ability, having only just seen earthbending for the first time at Omashu, and the latter felt a pain in his heart as the skill reminded him of Akiza and her telekinesis.

"An earthbender!" observed Katara in wonderment. She may have lived in this age considerably longer than the three time travelers had, but since she had never left the South Pole village in her entire life, seeing earthbending with her very own eyes was still just as incredible to her. Though Elodie, with her keen female instincts, wondered if it was really just the boy's bending ability the young waterbender was admiring.

"Let's go meet him!" suggested Aang with an eager smile.

"He looks dangerous," warned Sokka, scowling at the boy with his usual suspicion and skepticism, "so we better approach cautiously."

Crow sighed. "You're really not good at making friends, are you, Sokka?"

"Let me guess," said Yusei. "He could be a spy for the Fire Navy, right?"

"I'm just being cautious!" said Sokka defensively.

"Sokka, c'mon," Elodie said with a roll of her eyes. "He's an earthbender. In other words, he's on our side, right? What's the harm in just saying hello?"

"'What's the harm'," Sokka repeated sardonically. "Why do I always cringe whenever any of you ask that question?"

"Well, if you're too chicken, I'll go meet him myself," declared Katara, jumping over the log and running into the riverbed to greet him. Sokka started to call after her, but cut himself off with a groan and smacked his forehead with his palm. Katara didn't completely ignore her brother, however, as she stopped several yards away before calling to the boy, who had his back to her and hadn't noticed her yet.

"Hello there!" she called in a friendly voice. "I'm Katara! What's your name?"

The young earthbender turned in surprise and dropped the second he had just picked up, a sudden expression of fear and guilt came over his face, and Katara's excited smile turned into a confused frown. Without saying a word, the boy turned and sprinted off down the riverbed, jumping once and raising his arms to create and avalanche of earthen rocks to block the path from pursuit.

"Nice to meet you!" Aang called after the retreating earthbender as the rest of the group clambered over the log to where Katara stood in the middle of the riverbed.

"We just wanted to say hi," said Katara sadly, feeling a little hurt and rejected.

"Apparently there was some sort of harm in it," commented Crow as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Told you so," muttered Sokka.

"Hey!" Aang suddenly exclaimed, his face lighting up with a smile. "That guy's gotta be running somewhere! Maybe we're near a village! And I bet that village has a market!"

"Which means no nuts for dinner!" cried Katara, who was successfully cheered up by the thought.

"And no fish!" cheered Aang. "No offense, Elodie."

"None taken," Elodie reassured with a laugh as the three of them, along with Yusei and Crow, began running in the direction the earthbender had gone, having to climb up out of the riverbed to avoid the blockade the boy had created. "I'd still prefer the market to nuts!"

"Hey!" Sokka exclaimed indignantly. "I worked hard to get those nuts!" Momo chittered as he flew over Sokka's head, and Sokka let his arms fall to his sides and followed at a slow, down-casted walk. "Yeah, I hate 'em, too."

* * *

"Commander Zhao, the new recruits have arrived."

Zhao turned from his table of maps to the soldier who had entered his tent to give him the news. "Line them up outside so I can examine them," the commander commanded.

"Already done, sir. They are waiting for you."

The soldier held open the tent door for Zhao as he strode out onto the camp. He and his ship had made port in another Fire Nation harbor in the Earth Kingdom, not far from where the banished prince Zuko had humiliated him in an Agni Kai. The smell of coal smoke and metal work was thick in the air as the harbor was lined with warships preparing to set sail to the Fire Nation sea border, where it had been commanded to form a blockade. Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe vessels had been launching rebel attacks on Fire Nation troops near the sea, and the purpose of the blockade was to prevent more from happening. Zhao had ordered new recruits to add to his naval armies and better protect the southern sea border from these rebel attacks. And here they were, lined up before him with straight backs and high chins, their helmets under their arms as they clicked their heels together and stood in attention before their commanding officer.

Zhao walked down the line, carefully scrutinizing each recruit to test their metal. None of them dared look him in the eye, though a couple of gazes flickered to meet his before quickly moving away, beads of sweat gathering on their foreheads. Zhao smirked in satisfaction; this was what he loved most about his job. Instilling fear and respect into his soldier's hearts and knowing they would obey his every command. That kind of power was a rare thing to come by, unless you were as good an officer as Commander Zhao.

That was what he thought, at least, until saw the yellow-haired boy.

Zhao had never seen anything quite like him before. His hair was bright, sunshine yellow and spiky, with two small braids going down from the bottom of his hairline behind his ears. He was tall and rather large in stature, clearly very strong and muscular, and his armor marked him as a firebender and he carried himself like a skilled one. His eyes were even more particular: they were a shade of bright, shocking violet, and as the Commander passed him, he met his eyes and didn't look away. His gaze was cold and unrelenting, and though it was clear that an amount of basic training with the Fire Navy had tempered him somewhat, he still had a stubborn and authoritative air about him that could mark him as either useful or dangerous. Zhao kept his eyes locked on the boy's, refusing to look away until he absolutely had to look at the next soldier in line. The yellow haired boy held his gaze the entire time, refusing to show fear and giving only the smallest amount of respect necessary. Zhao made a mental note to keep a special eye on this one.

When Zhao finally made it to the end of the line, he turned and walked back to the center of the line, almost directly in front of the yellow haired boy, and turned to face them. "My name is Commander Zhao. I will be your commanding officer during your time with this naval crew. You will address me as 'Sir' or 'Commander'. Nothing else."

The yellow boy just barely rolled his eyes. Zhao tightened his jaw and decided to ignore it for the moment. "Today, we will be setting out to sea to your first station: the southern sea border of the Fire Nation. There we will be forming a blockade, keeping any Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe vessels from sailing into Fire Nation waters. I trust you know the heavy responsibility that now weighs on your soldiers. When you put that armor on, you dedicate your very souls to the Fire Nation. You make a solemn statement that you will defend your country with your very lives by whatever means necessary. This is the oathe you took upon yourselves when you entered the navy, and you are expected to uphold it. If you fail in keeping this oathe, the consequences will be _very_ severe. Dismissed."

The line of new soldiers bowed respectfully before scurrying off to their first positions. Only the yellow boy stayed, as the recruiter who had brought him and the others to the port approached the commander.

"Commander Zhao," the man said, gesturing for the yellow haired boy to step forward, "I would like to introduce you to Private Jack Atlas. Princess Azula herself hand picked him for this mission and asks that you allow him to serve you for the purpose of capturing the Avatar."

Zhao gaze hardened as it landed on the new recruit. "Jack Atlas? That is an unusual name. And you say the princess handpicked you herself?"

"Yes, Commander," replied Jack, though his respectful tone seemed rather forced. Zhao smirked; the boy was just like him, someone who did not like being under command.

"And what makes you so special?" he sneered, stepping up to Jack so their faces were merely inches apart. If Jack was at all intimidated, however, it didn't show.

"I have been Princess Azula's personal confidant for the past couple of weeks, Sir," he said in a sharp, strangely accented voice. "She ordered me to assist you in the search and capture of the Avatar, because she does not wish her big brother to get to him first. The banished Prince Zuko has been giving you some trouble, I've come to understand?"

Zhao's eye twitched in irritation and his fists clenched at his sides. "Nothing I can't handle," he growled. "I certainly don't need help from some sissy yellow boy who bows to the orders of a fifteen year old girl."

"A fifteen year old girl with more power than someone twice your rank, Commander," Jack replied. "With all due respect, Sir, how does it feel to be consistently obstructed by a sixteen year old boy who can't even halfway match his baby sister?"

A spout of fire shot out of Zhao's fists as rage swelled within him. Jack smirked and the recruiting officer frowned at him in warning as the Commander turned on his heel and walked a few steps away, glaring furiously at the campsite around him as his insides coiled and burned.

"Get out of my sight," he snarled at the private. "And report to your first duty. We will discuss more of this matter after we have set course, when I have time for insubordinate bilge rats like yourself."

"Yes, Sir," Jack said with another satisfied smirk as he turned and walked toward the rest of the new recruits, a sort of strut in his gait. The recruiting officer turned to Zhao apologetically.

"If it makes any difference, Sir, Prince Zuko is almost seventeen."

"I don't want to hear about that disgrace of a prince!" Zhao snapped, turning on the recruiting officer. "What is the matter with that Private, Jack Atlas? Was he not taught proper discipline or respect during his training?"

The recruiting officer gulped. "Jack Atlas is a very strong young man, Sir, and a surprisingly accomplished firebender for someone who just recently developed the skill, but the training was just as difficult and humbling for him as it was for the others."

"Not from where I am standing," growled Zhao. "I'll be keeping a special eye on this one. I will teach him the thing you failed to: how to keep his tongue in check when in the presence of superiority! Let's see just how strong this boy is."


End file.
